Bengaluru/Challakere (Chitradurga): Among the many presentations made for Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, in February this year, the most interesting was an overview of the facility at Challakere that has long been seen as the 'Science City' that will rival Bengaluru as a science, technology and defence hub.
Except, the buzz among insiders who concur with the top-secret 'Nuclear City' label given by Foreign Policy, is that Challakere is more than that, and it’s being set up with one aim only – to provide India an extra stockpile of enriched Uranium fuel that could be used in new Hydrogen bombs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly heard of how dilapidated buildings of an abandoned sheep farm were renovated to house the Talent Development Centre (TDC) by IISc to train science teachers at all levels, and to accommodate them during a ten-day residential training session. He instantly sanctioned a couple of crores of rupees and backed the conversion of TDC into the first Centre of Excellence in Science and Mathematics under Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Mission on Teachers and Teaching of the ministry of human resources development (MHRD). With the help of MHRD, IISc will construct a new lecture hall, and has already built two check-dams in order to recharge groundwater in the barren campus which would, in due course, receive water from Vani Vilas dam built by the late Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya more than a century ago!
The veil of secrecy over the facility being built by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), however, has stopped even scientists of IISc, who drive to Challakere every month to train teachers or keep an eye on new labs under construction, from gaining access to the atomic research facilities, atomic power station or one that will house nuclear centrifuges under construction at Dodda Ullavarthi, a village near Challakere. “We have seen houses being built for BARC engineers and scientists, but they are a couple of km away from their facility. They do not let us cross the barrier to look at these buildings, though they are still under construction,” rued one of them.
Sources close to the BARC project said it would take a couple of years for commissioning of either the atomic power plant or the centrifuges, countering the report in Foreign Policy magazine that the facility would be ready by 2017.
The same goes for the modern test facility being built by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for its Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV) project and other advanced programmes in aerospace and missile technology. A couple of hangars are almost ready, as also the runway, which has been designed to cater to fighter jets or large transport aircraft.
The IISc campus at Challakere in Chitradurga district
Among those likely to be inaugurated next year is the Climate Research Centre of IISc, and funded by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), says Mr H S Jagadeesh, Special Officer, TDC, Kudapura. “The Research Centre should be ready in six months. Construction of the new skill development centre will commence next month, and could take about two-and-half years for completion. Work on some buildings supported by the ministry of IT & BT of the state government will also commence next year,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
The Indian Army, too, would commence work on its Commando Training Centre (CTC), on a couple of hundred acres allotted as part of this 9,000 acre campus. With many key facilities coming up at Challakere, the government will ensure foolproof protection by armed commandos, said sources in the ministry of defence.
We would rather be in jail, than die a slow death: Villagers
Ask any villager in Kallali, an obscure village in Challekere taluk in Chitradurga, Karnataka, which Foreign Policy magazine claims is where a secret nuclear facility is coming up, and there is fear and apprehension that there could be a leak and their small community of Lambanis, cattle herders, share-croppers and weavers will pay the price.
None of the villagers here or in neighbouring Dodda Ullavarthi where the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has set up accommodation for its scientists, have a clue that this is where India will produce the enriched uranium fuel for its nuclear reactors and power its nuclear submarines.
But they do know that dangerous bombs are being made. Ullavarthy Kariyanna, a cattle herder who heads the Amruth Mahal Kaval Horata Samiti told DC on Saturday: "We are not against the establishment of nuclear or hydrogen plant but let it be set up in Rajasthan, not in Chitradurga district, not in Karnataka".
“If any atomic or nuclear bomb assembling activities are going on at the campus of BARC near Challakere, that will be catastrophic, We will intensify out protest against any such move,” said Mr. Kariyanna.
“A nuclear plant is slow poison to the people of this backward region. We have staged a series of protests against the allotment of amrut mahal kaval land for establishment of organisations such as DRDO, IISc, ISRO and BARC. But we are shocked after seeing the news in a section of media that hydrogen or nuclear bomb assembling is carrying out near Challakere.”
Kariyanna, is now preparing to gather the people from about 70 villages in the surrounding areas, discuss the issue with them and chalk out plans to intensify their protest. “We would rather spend the remainder of our lives in jail instead of dying a slow death,” says Karianna.
Officially, of course, there’s no atomic or hydrogen bomb assembling activities going on at the campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Dodda Ullavarthi village in Challakere taluk. Deputy commissioner Mr. M.K. Srirangaiah said that whatever appeared in a section of media is false. The state government has given land for research. Basic amenities are being provided.
“There’s nothing going on there,” he said, appealing to the people not to heed such rumours. The government has allotted about 8000 acres of land to BARC, IISc, ISRO and DRDO. Of four organisations, ISRO is providing training to the teachers. Research work will begin by 2020, the deputy commissioner said.
No H-bomb here: DC
Deputy commissioner Mr. M.K.Srirangaiah on Saturday insisted that no atomic or hydrogen bomb assembling activities are going on at the campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) near Dodda Ullavarthi village in Challakere taluk of the district.
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