Encouraging results of these studies resulted in the decision to set up a permanent base to undertake long-term projects. This base would initially be manned by Indian scientists on a project-to-project basis and later on converted into a round-the-year station, as the ones in Antarctica.

India will become the 11th country in the world to have a research station in Ny-Alesund, the others being Norway, Germany, Britain, Italy, France, Japan, South Korea, China, the Netherlands and Sweden. All these stations are owned by a Norwegian public company, Kings Bay AS, which owns and operates Ny-Alesund. Apart from providing services like food, electricity and water, Kings Bay is responsible for maintaining buildings and roads, disposal of waste and sewage and operation of essential amenities like the post office. Buildings for setting up a research station have to be leased from the company.

Two-third of Ny-Alesund, which is spread over 63,000 sq km, is permanently under ice, but the climate is mild in comparison to other areas so near the North Pole. The mean temperature in the coldest month of February is minus 14 degrees while in the warmest month of July, it is 5 degrees Centigrade.

Owing to almost zero pollution, Arctic is generally considered by scientists to be better than Antarctica for a wide range of research activities. Antarctica has hosted hundreds of scientists for years now and even attracts some tourists, leading to concerns that problems like pollution would soon catch up with the southernmost continent.

India has one operational station in Antarctica, called Maitri, and is in the process of setting up another this year. India’s first permanent station in Antarctica, Dakshin Gangotri, was set up in 1981.