The Indian Navy has designated Telangana as a strategic base, with plans underway to establish the nation’s second Very Low Frequency (VLF) communication transmission station in the Vikarabad district. VLF communication transmission stations play a crucial role in facilitating communication with ships and submarines. The upcoming station will be situated in the Damagudem forest area near Puduru in the Vikarabad Mandal. This marks the second such facility in the country, with the first being the INS Kattabomman Radar Station in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, serving the Navy since 1990. Additionally, the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam has already identified Telangana as an ideal location for the establishment of a second radar station. This Notification was published on 24.12.2024.
The officials of Vikarabad DFO and Naval Command Agency signed the agreement for the transfer of forest lands. 1174 hectares of forest land under Damagudem Reserve Forest has been handed over to the Navy. In 2014 itself, the Union Forest and Environment Department approved the Navy’s proposals. Camp funds of 133.54 crores for handing over forest land and Navy has paid 18.56 crores for the works undertaken for land conservation measures. The Damagudem Forest Protection has filed a petition in court seeking to cancel this project. The court has issued orders to take all precautions in accordance with the conditions decided by the government. Along with the navy station, the township would have schools, hospitals, banks and markets. This naval unit consists of around 600 naval personnel and other civilians. About 2500 to 3000 people live in this township. Adequate measures would be taken to preserve biodiversity and ecological balance in the region through extensive planting. As a part of this project, about 27 km of road will be constructed around Damagudem Reserve Forest. This new VLF center will be completed in 2027.
