In my letter to Hon'ble @PMOIndia, I've requested him to consider the serious repercussions & irreversible damage that the proposed Neutrino...

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin addressed an official letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the Union government to drop the proposed India-based Neutrino Observatory project planned in Theni district. Stalin highlighted serious environmental risks and irreversible ecological damage that extensive blasting, tunnel construction, and subsurface drilling would inflict on the fragile biodiversity of the Western Ghats.

The Chief Minister explained that the Western Ghats represent a globally recognized ecological hotspot providing essential forest catchments, wildlife corridors, and water security for multiple peninsular river basins. Heavy excavation, deep tunneling, and large-scale industrial transit would destabilize vulnerable hill geology, disrupt delicate water sources, and threaten agrarian communities inhabiting surrounding foothills. Stalin emphasized that scientific initiatives must avoid compromising sensitive ecological sanctuaries or destroying native habitats.

Stalin urged the Prime Minister to instruct the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Department of Atomic Energy to shelve the project in Tamil Nadu. The state government reaffirmed its unwavering resolve to preserve wildlife reserves, urging the Union government to recognize regional ecological sensitivities and explore alternative, non-forested locations elsewhere across the country immediately.