Maitri (research station)
Maitri is India's second permanent research station in Antarctica as part of the Indian Antarctic Programme. The name was suggested by the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi who was assassinated a month before the expedition left the shores of India on 3 December 1984. Work on the station was first started by the Indian Expedition which landed there in end Dec 1984, with a team led by Dr. B. B. Bhattacharya. Sqn Ldr D. P. Joshi, the surgeon of the team, was the first camp commander of the tentage at camp Maitri. The first huts were started by the IV Antarctica Expedition and completed in 1989, shortly before the first station Dakshin Gangotri was buried in ice and abandoned in 1990–91. Maitri is situated in the rocky mountainous region called Schirmacher Oasis. It is only 5 km away from the Russian Novolazarevskaya Station.Facilities
The station has modern facilities to research in various disciplines, such as biology, earth sciences, glaciology, atmospheric sciences, meteorology, cold region engineering, communication, human physiology, and medicine. It can accommodate 25 people for winter. Freshwater is provided through a freshwater lake named Lake Priyadarshini, in front of Maitri.Airfield
A blue ice runway, located away, operated by Antarctic Logistics Centre International serves the station and Novolazarevskaya.
