With a view to explore the underwater world, India is all set to launch Deep Ocean Mission
Bengaluru: With a view to explore the underwater world, India is all set to launch Deep Ocean Mission.
This mission further aims to explore minerals, energy and marine diversity, as revealed by a top official of the ministry of earth sciences, Indian Express reports.
The launch is slated to take place in the next 3-4 months. The required permissions are being taken, said M Rajeevan, secretary of the ministry.
The mission, which is expected to cost over Rs 4,000 crore, will give a boost to efforts to explore India’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf, another senior official of the MoES said, the website further added.
“The multi-disciplinary work will be piloted by the MoES and other government departments like the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will be stakeholders in this mission,” the website quoted Rajeevan further.
It is important to note that ISRO and DRDO will develop suitable technologies for the same.
“One of the main aspects of the mission will be design, development and demonstration of human submersibles,” the MoES official said.
Another aspect is exploring the possibility of deep-sea mining and developing necessary technologies, the official added.
The official said the move strategically significant as it will enhance India’s presence in the Indian Ocean where other players like China, Korea and Germany are active.
The website also added that last week, China live-streamed footage of its new manned submersible parked at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. This was part of its mission into the deepest underwater valley on the planet.
India has been ear-marked nearly 1.5 lakh square kilometres of area in the central Indian Ocean for exploration.
In September 2016, India had signed a 15-year contract with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for exploration of Poly-Metallic Sulphides (PMS) in the Indian Ocean.
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