Indian Neutrino Detector: The Elephant in the Room

Abstract

The very serious environmental implications of establishing the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) in Singara within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and in the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (“Indian neutrino detector hits snag on environmental concerns,” P. Bagla, News of the Week, 9 January, p. [197][1]) must be recognized if India is to save its most viable Asian elephant population from extinction. This population has declined so precipitously over the past three decades due to poaching and habitat loss that it is on the verge of collapse ([1][2]). Fully mature Tuskers (bulls) have become very rare in this range. The study of the smallest particles on Earth, neutrinos, should not justify driving the last viable Asian elephant herd and tiger population in India into extinction. 1. 1.[↵][3] 1. R. Bandara , South Asia Econ. J. 5, 283 (2004). [OpenUrl][4][CrossRef][5] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.323.5911.197 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text [4]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DSouth%2BAsia%2BEcon.%2BJ.%26rft.volume%253D5%26rft.spage%253D283%26rft.atitle%253DSOUTH%2BASIA%2BECON%2BJ%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1177%252F139156140400500206%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [5]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1177/139156140400500206&link_type=DOI