India is building an undisclosed number of nuclear shelters for VIPs, including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and top army commanders.
Analysts say that despite the resumption of dialogue with nuclear-armed rival Pakistan, war is still a possibility, leading the government to beef up its protection against weapons of mass destruction.
While New Delhi has pledged a 'no first strike' policy, Pakistan has not given any such commitment, citing its military and strategic disadvantages to India.
The Hindustan Times quoted a senior official yesterday as saying that each shelter would be a self-contained unit with sleeping bunks for 30 people, their own power and water supplies, waste disposal, fire-fighting systems, and all-important decontamination modules to purify air in nuclear battlefield conditions.
The sophisticated underground shelters, which will offer protection against nuclear, biological and chemical attacks, were designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and will cost 700,000 rupees (HK$120,000) each, the newspaper reported.
The cabinet committee for security has apparently approved two shelters for Mr Vajpayee: one at his New Delhi office and another at his residence.