Ministry : Ministry of Earth Sciences
Mission:
-
The mission proposes to explore deep-ocean by emulating success of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in designing and launching satellites.
-
For this mission, Centre has drawn up a five-year, Rs. 8,000 crore plan to explore deep recesses of the ocean.
-
The focus of DOM is on deep-sea mining, ocean climate change advisory services, underwater vehicles and underwater robotics related technologies.
-
Two key projects planned under it include desalination plant powered by tidal energy and submersible vehicle that can explore depths of at least 6,000 metres.
Why it is important?
-
India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) spreads over 2.2 million sq. km and in the deep sea, lies unexplored and unutilised.
-
Besides, India has been allotted site of 1,50,000 sq. km in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by United Nations International Sea Bed Authority (UN-ISBA) for exploitation of polymetallic nodules (PMN).
-
These are rocks scattered on seabed containing iron, nickel, manganese and cobalt.
-
It is envisaged that 10% of recovery of that large reserve can meet energy requirement of India for next 100 years.
-
It has been estimated that 380 million metric tonnes of polymetallic nodules are available at the bottom of the seas in CIOB.
