Tamil Nadu has told the Supreme Court that it does not want the Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO) to be built in a vulnerable ecological zone in the Western Ghats, at the cost of wildlife and biodiversity, along with local opposition and public outcry against the project.
The proposal for the observatory, according to the Tamil Nadu government, would create permanent damage to the Western Ghats.
According to the State, this corridor connects the Periyar Tiger Reserve on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border and the Mathikettan Shola National Park.
The project area also has ecological ties to the Srivilliputhur Meghamalai Tiger Reserve, which is located in the eastern habitats.