In the wake of two suspected meteorite falls in Vellore district in the last fortnight, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has written to the Tamil Nadu State government seeking a direction to all District Collectors that any such cases be reported to GSI and any finds handed over, as it was the only nodal agency authorised to possess and carry out research on meteorites in the country.
“In 2008, a 105-kg meteorite fall was reported in Sulagiri near Krishnagiri; the piece is in the GSI gallery in Kolkata now.”
As per a circular issued September 2013, the GSI is the custodian of all meteorite finds in India and all such falls or finds have to be registered in the National Meteorite Repository of India in GSI, Kolkata. instantly after reportage.
The circular also states that meteorites may be categorised as “contraband items”, entailing a restriction on their free movement both within the country and across the borders. NMRI has over 700 meteorites on display collected from across the country.
IIA team collects object
Meanwhile, a team of scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, has taken the stone-like object, which was recovered from Bharathidasan Engineering College, Natrampalli, and soil sample from the site of the college for analysis.
After the second incident on February 6, in which one person was killed and four others injured, police recovered an object resembling a stone and weighing about 10 grams from the college campus. Following this, the Vellore police requested the scientists from of IIA to examine the stone and the site of explosion.
@Agency report.
