They cooperated by replacing a cheap TV part that would cut down pollution, ensuring the radio telesecope could function unhindered
While the country basks in the success of the the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at Narayangaon, arguably the world’s largest facility of its kind, part of the credit goes to the cooperation of local villagers, revealed scientists here on Friday.
GMRT observatory dean Prof Yashwant Gupta said that the bad quality of TV boosters in the area had created problems for the smooth functioning of the ambitious GMRT.
He added that when the GMRT’s site of Khodad at Narayangaon was selected, the electromagnetic interference or pollution was little, but it has increased over the last 10 years as electrical noise as well as mobile phone connectivity and signals have increased manifold.
The National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is celebrating 50 years of radio astrophysics and astronomy at TIFR and 10 years of its GMRT being used as an international observatory.
Gupta said the poor quality of 800 TV boosters had created issues, but the GMRT teams reached out to local villagers to sort out the problems. They found that the solution lay in changing a small part of the TV set that cost just between Re1 and Rs5.
The teams identified the villages in which TV boosters created problems due to oscillations and convinced every household to rectify the problems, which was possible only due to cooperation from local leaders and villagers.
The villagers allowed the GMRT teams to touch their TV sets and boosters to change the small part without affecting their picture quality. Gupta added, “They did not have any problem and it is with their cooperation that GMRT could avert possible pollution, which was vital for the functioning of the world’s biggest facility like GMRT.” He said the GMRT also approached the mobile operators and sensitised them about the importance of the GMRT and frequencies they should avoid so that GMRT reception would not be hampered and operators too would not lose their customer base.
Global conference
The NCRA is organising an international conference between December 9 and 13 at NCRA-TIFR Pune, which would be attended by more than 200 radio astronomers from across the world. NCRA director Prof Swarna K Ghosh, faculty dean Jayaram N Chengalur and GMRT observatory dean Prof Yashwant Gupta informed media persons that the five-day conference would have technical sessions as well as public lectures by internationally acclaimed experts.
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