Antarctica is the fifth largest continent in the world. The word Antarctica is derived from the Greek word antarktike, which means “opposite to the north” i.e., opposite to the Arctic. It covers an area of 13,209,000 sq km which constitutes 8.9 percent of the earth’s land. It is the coldest and windiest spot on the planet. In fact, It holds the record for the lowest temperature on Earth -89.2 ºC. The mean winter temperatures range from -40 ºC to -70 ºC, and winds are commonly measured at up to 200 miles per hour.

Antarctica as viewed from space. Source: https://www.coolantarctica.com/gallery/scenic/views_of_antarctica.php

Antarctica provides a unique, unpolluted, and stable environment for carrying out scientific observations. It is far away from all sources of environmental contamination and thus remains an unpolluted datum point from which global changes due to pollution could be monitored. The glaciers of Antarctica comprise about 90 percent of the earth’s ice. Thus, the continent holds about 75 percent of the freshwater reserve of the earth in a solid state. If the Antarctic ice cover were to melt, the world oceans would rise by about 50 to 60 meters which is enough to submerge most of the coastal cities.

Antarctica holds a key position in answering several of the key questions pertaining to global climate change, such as contribution toward global sea level, the background aerosol properties, variability in the sea ice cover, and phenomena like Antarctic haze and Ozone concentrations. Attempts to understand these important problems have important social and scientific relevance. The introductory article of the scientific report on the first expedition clearly mentions the relevance. Some of these includes:

1. Understanding global climate change: The north and south poles maintain the heat budget of the world in balance. The heat transported through the atmosphere and the oceans to the poles is dissipated in space in the form of long-wave radiation. The cold air going from Antarctica, when meets the warm air in the atmosphere of the lower latitude, changes into moisture-bearing clouds. Thus, Antarctica regulates the global climate and, more particularly of the southern hemisphere.
2. Antarctica is an important location for observing the interaction of the earth’s magnetic field and charged particles from the sun. It is perhaps the only place in the southern hemisphere from where observations on simultaneous activity in the ionosphere and the earth’s magnetic field can be made. It provides relative freedom from man-made sources of electrical interference (noise). Hence, it forms an ideal environment for conducting studies on radio-wave propagation and radio noise levels both in the ionosphere and the lower atmosphere.
3. Unlike the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, which communicate to both the north pole (Arctic) and south pole (Antarctic), the Indian Ocean has its northern boundaries closed with landmass. It, therefore, communicates only to the Antarctic Ocean and south pole from which it derives much of its fertility and energy.

Historic or archaeological significance:  In the Mesozoic era, the super-continent of Gondwanaland had a common landmass of five continents, namely, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, India, and South America. Later, the continents drifted apart with the oceans in between. Thus, Antarctica holds the master key to the earth’s history. The purpose of the First Indian Expedition to Antarctica was to initiate Indian research in these and several other fields.

1981: First expedition

It all started in 1981 when a team of 21 members led by Dr. Sayed Zahoor Qasim, then Secretary of the Department of Environment and former Director of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), first steeped in the icy continent of Antarctica. The team consisted of participants from seven different institutions. The members include marine-biologist, radio-physicist, meteorologists, geologists, paleomagnetists, technicians, photographers, staff from the Indian Navy, and several others.

In the introductory article of the scientific report on the first expedition, Dr. Sayed Zahoor Qasim states that:

Only a few islands separate the sub-continent of India from the continent of Antarctica. In other words, there is a single and continuous sheet of water connecting India with Antarctica with no sizeable landmass in between. It is, therefore, very desirable that some of the scientific disciplines are probed from the Indian view point.

The expedition code-named ‘OPERATION GANGOTRI’ was undertaken in an ice-breaker M. V. POLAR CIRCLE. The ship sailed from Mormugao harbor on 6 December 1981. After covering a distance of 21 thousand kilometers, the ship returned to Mormugao harbor on 21 February 1982. The duration of the expedition was 77 days.

To celebrate the success of the first Indian Antarctica expedition, the Indian postal service issued stamps on 09 January 1983.

Stamp issued to commemorate the success of the first Indian expedition. Source: http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Issue Date/year/1983/month/1/FIRST INDIAN ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION

Dr. Sayed Zahoor Qasim: The person who led the first Indian expedition to Antarctica

A marine biologist, Dr. Sayed Zahoor Qasim, led the first Indian expedition to Antarctica and followed up with seven more. He promoted ocean research in India and was active in building infrastructure and resources for marine research. The first person to highlight the role of aquaculture, he actively promoted the technology of cultured pearls.

Dr. Sayed Zahoor Qasim, Credit: http://nobelprizeseries.in/tbis/sz-qasim

He has published more than 200 original research papers in national and international journals. He served as the Director of the National Institute of Oceanography and was a member of the Planning Commission from 1991 to 1996. Dr. Qasim’s research interests span across estuarine ecology, marine biology, Antarctic research, and environmental pollution. For his contribution in the field of marine biology, the Government of India conferred him the Padma Bhushan in 1982.

In an interview with TOI, he vividly share the adventures encountered during the first expedition:

Describing anxious moments he (Dr. Sayed Zahoor Qasim) says, “Our ship had reached the island. We made three attempts from different sides to enter it but failed. A lot was at stake. In the fourth try we were able to land safely with a helicopter hovering over the ship guiding the ship. Soon I established communication link through satellite and called up Mrs Gandhi, who was equally elated and congratulated the team.”

Dakshin Gangotri – The first research station

It was not until the third expedition in 1983 that India started setting up its first research station in Antarctica. After successful completion of the first two expeditions. A need was felt to build a permanent research station that could facilitate research during the winter months. Before this expedition and all research activities were confined to summer months only. Therefore, the Department of Ocean Development, Government of India, decided that during the third expedition, in addition to carrying out investigations and observations in diversified scientific fields, a permanent scientific station should be set up.

A site at 70º02 S 12º00 E had been recommended by the second expedition for constructing the permanent station located on an ice shelf on the Princess Astrid coast. An eighty-one membered team was formed. The Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army took this major responsibility of constructing the research base with logistic assistance from the Indian Navy and Air Force, and wherever necessary, scientists provided a helping hand in accomplishing this enormous task. The station was well equipped with laboratories for meteorological, microbiological, atmospheric studies, glaciological, and other related works. For comfortable living, the station was maintained at a steady temperature of 15 ºC with facilities like a gymnasium, library, operation theater, indoor games, modern kitchen, and music systems. A proper waste disposal mechanism was also set up.

A stamp was issued on 08 July 1989 to commemorate the second year of the Dakshin Gangotri Post Office. The stamp depicts the Dakshin Gangotri Post Office building in its ice-bound surroundings amidst other establishments of the Indian Scientific Station, Dakshin Gangotri, Antarctica. It is designed by Shri Sankha Samantha and produced at India Security Press, Nashik Road.

Indian Post office in Antarctica

On 26 January 1988, a Post Office was established at Dakshin Gangotri under the Goa Postal Division. Shri G. Sudhakar Rao, a scientist, who went to Antarctica as a member of the Seventh Indian Scientific Expedition in November 1987, was appointed as the first Honorary Postmaster. In the very first year of its foundation, almost 10,000 letters were posted and canceled in the Dakshin Gangotri post office.

Since then, the Indian Antarctic program has sent 41 scientific expeditions and built three research base stations in Antarctica. These are 1. Dakshin Gangotri (1983), 2. Maitri (1988) and 3. Bharati (2012). As of today, Maitri and Bharati are fully operational. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa – an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences—manages the entire Indian Antarctic program.

Dakshin Gangotri was decommissioned on 25 February 1990 after half of it got buried under the ice. The current Indian post office in Antarctica is situated at Maitri, where the country’s current research station is also situated.

Maitri – The second research station

In 1988 an ice-free, rocky area on the Schirmacher oasis was selected to build India’s second Research Station named  “Maitri (70º45’52” S and 11º44’03” E). The name was suggested by then prime minister Indira Gandhi. The building was erected on steel stilts and has since stood the test of time. It is an inland station about 100 km from the shore at an elevation of about 50 meters above sea level. It can support 25 persons in the main building during summers as well as winters and about 40 in the summer facility comprising of containerized living modules. The station consists of one main building, fuel farm, fuel station, lake water pump house, a summer camp, and a number of smaller containerized modules. The main building offers a regulated power supply, automated heating with hot and cold running water, incinerator toilets, cold storage, PA system, living, dining, lounge, and containerized laboratory space. The communication is through dedicated satellite channels providing connectivity for voice, video, and data with India mainland.

Maitri: The second research station of India in Antarctica

Bharati – The third research station

On 18 March 2012, India’s third research station, Bharati, was commissioned.  The purpose was to facilitate year-round scientific research activity by the Indian Antarctic program. Located 3000 km east of Maitri, the new Indian research base ‘Bharati’ is in between Thala Fjord & Quilty bay, east of Stornes Peninsula in Antarctica at 69º 24.41′ S, 76º 11.72′ E, approximately at 35 m above sea level. The station can support 47 personnel on a twin sharing basis in the main building during summer as well as winters, with an additional 25 in emergency shelters/summer camps during summers and thus making the total capacity as 72. The station consists of one main building, fuel farm, fuel station, sea water pump house, a summer camp, and a number of smaller containerized modules. The main building offers a regulated power supply, automated heating, and air conditioning with hot and cold running water, flush toilets, sauna, cold storage, a PA system, and aesthetically designed living, dining, lounge, and laboratory space. The communication is through dedicated satellite channels providing connectivity for voice, video, and data with India mainland.

\[_source:_ [NCPOR](https://ncpor.res.in/antarcticas/display/377-bharati)\]

Bharati: India’s third research station in Antarctica

This year on the occasion of Earth Day, in an interview with Indian Express, Mirza Javed Beg, Centre director, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), said, “There is an urgent need for the revamping of the Maitri station, which is more than 35 years old. The NCPOR is focusing on the same.”

On being asked about the need for more research stations in Antarctica, Beg commented, “For a vast continent like Antarctica, having only two stations for research domains is certainly not enough. But at the same time, building more stations is also not a viable option. This, as a research activity, can be carried out through collaborations with other nations having stations, with similar areas of interest”.

Latest 41st expedition

The 41st expedition is being led by Dr. Shailendra Saini, Scientist National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (Voyage Leader), Huidrom Nageshwar Singh, Metrologist, India Metrological Department (Leader, Maitri Station), and Anoop Kalayil Soman, scientist Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (Leader, Bharati Station).

The 41st expedition has two major programs. The first program encompasses geological exploration of the Amery ice shelf at Bharati station. This will help explore the link between India and Antarctica in the past. The second program involves reconnaissance surveys and preparatory work for drilling of 500 meters of ice core near Maitri. It will help in improving the understanding of Antarctic climate, westerly winds, sea-ice and greenhouse gases from a single climate archive for the past 10,000 years. The ice core drilling will be done in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey and the Norwegian Polar Institute.

In the future, India will play an even more significant in furthering the research in Antarctica in collaboration with other global institutions. With this, I would like to thank all the past and present members associated with India’s Antarctica expedition. Special thanks to NCPOR, India Post, and News articles by TOI and Indian Express.