Deep Ocean mission

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Deep Ocean Mission
Public research agency overview
Formed2018
JurisdictionIndia
Annual budgetIncrease ₹8,000 crore (US$1.1 billion) (FY20)
Minister responsible
Parent Public research agencyMinistry of Earth Sciences

Deep Ocean mission is an Indian initiative to undertake the deep ocean exploration focused on India's exclusive economic zones and continental shelf. The program will consist of various manned and unmanned submersibles exploring the sea bed. The primary aim of the mission is to explore and extract polymetallic nodules which are composed of minerals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper and iron hydroxide. The metals are useful in manufacturing of electronic devices, smartphones, batteries and solar panels.

India has been allocated a site of 75,000 km2 (29,000 sq mi) in the Central Indian Ocean Basin by the International Seabed Authority for exploration of polymetallic nodules from seabed. The estimated amount of polymetallic nodules in given area is about 380 million tonnes, containing 4.7 million tonnes of nickel, 4.29 million tonnes of copper and 0.55 million tonnes of cobalt and 92.59 million tonnes of manganese.

The phase-I of the project is expecting execution in 2021-22. Under its sub-project informally dubbed Samudrayaan, India has aims to send three people into deep sea up to a depth of 6 km (3.7 mi) in Indian ocean in an indigenous deep sea submersible having an endurance of 72 hours.

History[edit]

The study of the ocean in India began when the Government sponsored the program on polymetallic nodules (PMN) initiated at CSIR-NIO with the collection of the first nodule sample from Arabian sea on board the first research vessel Gaveshani on 26 January 1981.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), an autonomous international organisation established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, alloted the ‘area’ for deep-sea mining. India was the first country to receive the status of a ‘Pioneer Investor ‘ in 1987 and was given an area of about 1.5 lakh sq km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) for nodule exploration.

This was based on the extensive survey carried out by the scientists of CSIR-NIO on several research ships leading to the allocation of an area of 150,000 km2 (58,000 sq mi) to the country with exclusive right under the UN law of the sea.

India was the first country in the world, to have sponsored the exploration of deep sea mineral viz polymetallic nodules, in the central Indian Ocean basin in 1987.

In 2002, India signed a contract with the ISA and after complete resource analysis of the seabed 50% was surrendered and the country retained an area of 75,000 sq km.

Further studies have helped narrow the mining area to 18,000 sq km which will be the ‘First Generation Mine-site’.

Background[edit]

India has an Exclusive Economic zone allocated 2,200,000 km2 (850,000 sq mi) which is unexplored and unutilised.

Exclusive Economic zones are boundaries prescribed by the United nations Convention on the law of the sea which give the rights to a state regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.

India has been allocated a site of 150,000 km2 (58,000 sq mi) in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the United Nation's International Seabed Authority (ISA) for the exploitation of polymetallic nodules (PMN) which is an amalgamation of iron and manganese hydroxide.

It has been estimated that 380 million metric tonnes of PMN are available at the bottom of the seas in the central Indian Ocean.

It is estimated that 10% of recovery of that can meet India's energy requirement for next 100 years.

Goal and objectives[edit]

The centre has drawn up a five-year plan, with a cost of ₹8000 crore, to mine, research and study about the ocean floor.

The objectives of the plan include research work that can result in formation of a roadmap on climate change and help in developing a desalination plant powered by tidal energy.

One of the key projects which can enable the above said research is the creation of a submersible vehicle that can explore depths of at least 6,000 m (20,000 ft).

Progress made[edit]

Indian Space Research Organisation developed the design of a manned submersible capsule capable of travelling 6,000 m deep for the mission. The development was announced on the sidelines of the silver jubilee celebrations of the National Institute of Ocean Technology.[1]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "ISRO Develops Submersible Capsule Capable of Travelling 6,000 Meters Deep for Ocean Mission". Retrieved 5 November 2019.
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