The Indian Navy is set to significantly bolster its submarine communication capabilities with the construction of a new Very Low Frequency (VLF) Station in Vikarabad, Telangana.
Three towering radio transmitters, each reaching a height of 500 meters, will soon dominate the skyline of this town located 75 km from Hyderabad. This strategic facility will provide a vital communication link for the Indian Navy's submarine fleet operating in the Indian Ocean and beyond.
The foundation stone for this crucial project will be laid on October 15th by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, and other high-ranking officials.
The VLF station, to be located within the Damagudam Reserve Forest, is the culmination of a more than three-decade search by the Indian Navy for an ideal location to establish uninterrupted communication with its submarines.
Captain G.M. Rao, who is overseeing the project's implementation, emphasized the importance of this facility for national security, stating that it will allow for seamless communication with submarines, overcoming natural obstacles and ensuring operational readiness in the current global security environment.
Vikarabad's Pudur village was selected after a rigorous evaluation of potential sites, including Donakonda in Andhra Pradesh and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.
Pudur offers a 300 km radius of unhindered signal transmission, free from mountain ranges and high altitude interference. While a VLF facility was previously established in Tirunelveli in 1990, technical issues prompted the decision to relocate to Vikarabad in 2010.
The project requires 2,900 acres of forest land, for which the Forest Department will receive ₹73.37 crore to plant 11.74 lakh trees as compensation.
Although there were initial delays in handing over the site, the project received the necessary clearances after high-ranking officials highlighted its strategic significance to the Telangana government.
Addressing potential concerns about radiation, Captain Rao assured that "VLF towers radiation is bare minimal and is contained within the facility near the antennas. It is less than a cell phone."
He further emphasized the Navy's commitment to minimizing environmental impact, stating that the facility will be built on only 8.16% of the acquired land, with over 50% of the forest remaining undisturbed.
Efforts are being made to translocate affected trees and preserve local access to a temple within the designated area.
The VLF station will be a self-contained township, housing approximately 700 naval officers and personnel, and will be equipped with a modern sewage treatment plant and robust security measures. The facility is expected to be fully operational within three years.
