Mountain tunnelling, aquifer and tectonics - a case study of Gran Sasso and its implications for the India-based Neutrino Observatory

The India-based Neutrino Observatory Collaboration is about to construct an underground laboratory in the Western Ghats within the Idukki-Theni charnockyte aquifer. There are several dams quite close to the structure and the area is prone to hydroseismicity. No geotechnical study has been conducted for this project. A similar observatory in Gran Sasso, Italy, built three decades ago has caused floods and severely impacted the aquifer, leading to a series of tremors and a major earthquake in 2009. The long-term impacts of the project on the aquifer and the reservoirs should be examined before going ahead with the construction.