Several hours from the city of Mumbai is the headquarters of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) — one of the most-sensitive telescopes in the world — which listens for low-frequency emissions from the farthest reaches of the universe. However, there is now a proposal to build a semi-high-speed rail line within range of the GMRT, seriously threatening its abilities to detect these faint signals. Namrata Kolachalam reports from the western state of Maharastra.