Indian Navy to set up its second VLF communication transmission station in Vikarabad

HYDERABAD: The Indian Navy has chosen Telangana as a key base to set up its second VLF (very low frequency) communication transmission station in the country in Vikarabad district. This new VLF center will be completed in 2027.

The Navy uses VLF communication transmission station to communicate with ships and submarines. This station will be set up in Damagudem forest area near Puduru of Vikarabad mandal.

INS Kattabomman Radar Station at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu was the first of its kind. It has been serving the Navy since 1990. The Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam has already identified Telangana as a suitable area for setting up a second radar station.

Since 2010, the Navy has been in touch with the Telangana Government. Despite all the environmental permits and clearances, the allotment of land did not proceed as anticipated.

With the initiative of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, all the obstacles to this project were removed. Commodore Karthik Shankar, Circle DFO Rohit Bhupathi, and Captain Sandeep Das met the Chief Minister on Wednesday.

The officials of Vikarabad DFO and Naval Command Agency signed the agreement for the transfer of forest lands. In all 1,174 hectares of forest land under Damagudem Reserve Forest has been handed over to the Navy.

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In 2014 itself, the Union Forest and Environment Department approved the Navy's proposals. Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) fund of Rs 133.54 crore for handing over forest land and Navy was paid and Rs 18.56 crore was spent on the works undertaken for land conservation measures.

The Damagudem forest protection group has filed a petition in court seeking to cancel this project. The court has issued orders to take all precautions by the conditions decided by the Government. Along with the navy station, the proposed township would have schools, hospitals, banks, and markets.

This naval unit consists of around 600 Naval personnel and other civilians. About 2,500 to 3,000 people live in this township. Adequate measures would be taken to preserve biodiversity and ecological balance in the region through extensive planting. As a part of this project, about 27 km of road will be constructed around Damagundam Reserve Forest.