Neutrino project stuck as PCB sits on it for year

One of the country's biggest science projects in years, the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO), an underground laboratory aiming to primarily study atmospheric neutrinos, is in a limbo because the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) is neither granting its clearance nor disapproving the project.
The underground laboratory will be located 1,300 metre below the surface and will consist of a large cavern and several smaller caverns that will be accessed by a 2,100-metre-long and 7.5-metre--wide long tunnel facility.It is proposed to come up near Theni in Tamil Nadu.
The application seeking the board's clearance was filed in May 2015, and more than a year since, there has been no word from the board, preventing the Rs 1,583 crore project from taking off. Scientists who didn't want to be named said it is pure politics at play and that there is nothing to fear from the project.
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board Chairman Hansraj Verma said on Saturday that he cannot comment on the issue as he is busy with the legislature session and asked TOI to meet him later. TNPCB sources said the board was still considering the proposal and would take a call after ongoing budget session of the assembly.
"So many procedures need to be followed before clearing a proposal of this kind and the board is examining all aspects of the underground laboratory, before a decision is taken by its technical sub-committee. There has to be a greater understanding of the project and PCB is at it. Internal meetings are on," a PCB official said. Only five months ago, TNPCB got IIT to make a presentation about the project to its officials to understand its objectives.
Neutrino physics is something that scientists from across the world are taking a big interest in and the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2015 was jointly given to Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B McDonald for their discovery of neutrino oscillations.
Renowned scientist and former member (science) of the Planning Commission, K Kasturirangan told TOI: "There is no question about the importance of the project. It is good that India has actually taken initiatives to build the project."
The 26-hectare site identified for the project in Theni district has been fenced and a large water storage tank also already installed.
The project, which was cleared by the Centre last year hit a road block after MDMK chief Vaiko moved the Madras high court arguing that the project will be disastrous for the people in the vicinity. The Madurai bench of the court ordered that the Centre (DAE and the Department of Science and Technology) should not proceed further without the clearance of the TN Pollution Control Board.
(With inputs from Julie Mariappan)