CUMBUM: Farmers in Cumbum valley of Theni district have opposed the move by the Centre to establish the ‘Nutrino’ scheme in the forestland of Suruliyaru.
The Rs 920-crore project aims at separating neutron present in the atmosphere.
It is alleged that the project was sought to be implemented in Singara area of Nilgiris but due to opposition from environmentalists it was shifted to Theni. The forestland covering 25,000 hectares in Suruliyaru, Vannathiparai, Megamalai and other areas has already been declared as wildlife sanctuary, including a elephant and tiger reserve.
The State government had earlier turned down the move to set up the Neutrino Observatory in the Singara mountain range in the Nilgiris. The lab will be an underground facility to enable scientists to conduct studies on neutrinos, the smallest particles known to man. Environmentalists in the State have opposed the lab being sited anywhere in the Western Ghats in the State.
But a Central team will now study the viability of setting up the lab in Theni, where a preliminary survey had already been undertaken.
The INO (India-based Neutrino Observatory) suggested Suruliyar as an alternative site after a survey. But, the farmers and environmentalists are against the laboratory coming up here as the soil drilled from more than 1,200 metres for collecting neutrino would pile up on arable land making it arid and there will be pollution of all kinds, including water and air.
Union Minister for Environment Jairam Ramesh suggested the site based on a report by Rajesh Gopal, member-secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Kalidas, an environmental activist said this was bound to cause irreparable damage to the ecosystem and will have equally disastrous effect on the people of the area. They would resort to agitations if the State persists in the move.
