The Hunt For The Smiling Buddha

Ground Zero, 1998. Inside the arid and remorseless heart of the Thar desert, barely ten to fifteen kilometres north of the vital Jodhpur-Jaisalmer highway, lies one of the most protected stretches of real estate in the country today. It is called the Khetolai military range. This region has been cordoned off by wave after wave of crack infantry, mechanised and armoured regiments of the Indian army, and bristles with Surface to Air Missile (SAM) teams.

The high security for the triangle-shaped, multi-perimeter, seventeen square kilometre area, Khetolai range has a reason. For, India set off its five nuclear devices early this week in this range. It was here that someone actually pulled the switch on the most controversial explosions in recent times. And, it was in the Khetolai range that the radiance of more than ten thousand suns filled the skies, and Buddha smiled five times.

 

Much has been written about the explosions of Monday and Wednesday; more will follow. Theres not a lot, however, on the exact geographical extent, and location, of Indias nuclear weapons programme. Exactly where has India exploded her devices? And, where, for instance, is Khetolai range ?

Indeed, the security cover goes far beyond Khetolai range alone. It extends to the estimated 550 square kilometers of barren territory that encompasses the geographical stretch of the Indian nuclear weapons programme (see Maps 1 and 2). This region includes, apart from the Khetolai range, a military base that largely houses the infantry units of the army, a huge built- up area, a base for tank regiments, and a firing range. Even a casual examination of the map reveals precisely the military/civilian nature of the entire enterprise.

Take for instance the Areas 1-5 in Map 3. Area 1 is thought to be a rail cum road transfer point for the army. It is close to Lathi village, and to the civilian rail station. Its proximity to the station has led experts to the conclusion that the military facility is used for the movement of heavy equipment, such as tanks, to and from the other identified sites.

To the north of this facility are large structures that could be part of a military base. This area could be a storage/ housing unit.

The heavily guarded enclosed facility around half a kilometre south-east of Sri Bhadria, Area 2, is said to range over a whopping 195,000 square metres. It houses the technical core of the weapons programme and could be a housing cum laboratory facility for researchers and scientists. Experts say it could also house a strong military presence. Area 2 is connected to the main road through a fenced reservation and single access pathway. This complex has a defensive circle of SAM batteries, believed to be a protective measure against attacks from Pakistani air space.

Area 3 is believed to be a base for tank and mechanised regiment of the Indian army. The complex comprises of several buildings and a parade ground. It could be the primary mechanised defence back up for the entire facility. Also, it is linked by several roads to the firing ranges and the other facilities in the region.

Area 4 on the map has been described as a target zone for artillery shelling, air bombardment, or both. The pointer is the presence of two large cratered and pock- marked zones within this area. In other words the armoured regiments could be using this region for target practice.

And finally Area 5. The boundaries of this zone, as can be seen in the map, cover the geographic region where nuclear test preparations are reported to have taken place in 1981, 1982 and 1995. It is also believed to encompass the site of the 1974 nuclear test that is marked on the map. However, only the region north of Khetolai village is relevant to the testing.

Within this area 5 lies the Khetolai military range. It is not clear what remains of the built-up structures within this range after the tests were carried out. access can be gained through four gates (see Map 2). Prior to the explosions Khetolai range comprised of several buildings, infrastructure, and a web of roads and cables (Map 3). The underground shafts detailed in Map 3 are believed to have been dug first in 1981, and could have been used to conduct the underground explosions. Note also that the site of the 1974 test has been identified roughly 1.5 kilometres south of Malka village in Map 1, and in further detail in Map 3. Finally, distances between the various areas may be calculated from the scale provided in Maps 1 and 2.

Manish Khanduri and Sunil Pew

(Source: Investigating the Allegations of Indian

Nuclear Test Preparations in the Rajasthan Desert, published in July 1996 by Vipin Gupta and Frank Pabian. They are not responsible for any analytical errors in this story.)