China is constructing the world's largest-ever radio telescope. To make room for its construction, the Chinese government has decided to relocate 9000 villagers. The device will mainly seek extraterrestrial signals.

China's new telescope will hunt for alien life and signals from space. However, the project has led to displacement of many locals.

The construction of FAST (Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope) is in full swing by the Chinese government and considering the same they've announced the mass transfer of nearly 9,000 villagers in the vicinity of the facility. Xinhua said that this was a necessary step for the creation of a sound electromagnetic environment for the telescope to function in.

The site of FAST, Guizhou, is among China's poorest provinces. The people who are forced to move will receive nearly $1,800 in compensation. The cost of the telescope is $182 million.

After the completion of FAST, it will start operating in September 2016. It will be the largest-ever radio telescope on our planet. The FAST project will scan the skies for information regarding a number of cosmic phenomena out there, and will certainly listen closely for any sentient whispers from outside in the black.

For long time, SETI has had to depend on borrowing time from other telescopes like the Arecibo dish, or to scan second-hand data from other projects. Li Di, a chief scientists with China's National Astronomical Observatories, said, “With a larger signal receiving area and more flexibility, FAST will be able to scan two times more sky area than Arecibo, with three to five times higher sensitivity. Ultimately, exploring the unknown is the nature of mankind”.

Last year, the country grabbed global attention for disclosing that it is creating a huge telescope designed to hear signs of extraterrestrial life.