Madurai:

Pre-project work on the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) will be completed by this year, say scientists working on INO.

A group of scientists working on INO in the West Bodi Hills in Theni district who were in Madurai to participate in a seminar at The American College said a nodal centre would soon be established for INO near Madurai Kamaraj University in Madurai.

The Rs-1,356 crore underground Neutrino Observatory is one of the world’s biggest pure science research projects coming up in Bodi Hills, about 110 km west of Madurai.

Speaking to TOI on the sidelines of the workshop titled “Pathway to  Higgs Boson”, M V N Murthy of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai said the neutrino project, one of the big initiatives of the country in pure science, was on the right track. “The team of scientists is working on pre-project works now, which will be completed by 2012-end. Environment and pollution control board clearances have been obtained for 40 acres in Pottipuram village where the project is coming up,” he said. Excavation of a two-km tunnel in the hills for establishment of the observatory would commence after that.

Murthy further said a nodal centre was being established near Madurai for INO. “Work is in progress to obtain another 30 acres in Vadapalanji village near Madurai Kamaraj University where the nodal centre for the observatory will be constructed.

G Rajasekaran, scientific steering committee member of INO, said the pre-project works included setting up of necessary basic infrastructure in Pottipuram village like fencing the land, creating drinking water facilities and access roads. “The scientists team is working on creating a magnetic detector which will be placed inside the cavern in a two km tunnel which will be excavated in the mountain,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Madurai / August 29th, 2012