(a) whether the Government has formulated any new policy for exploiting mineral
resources from the deep sea;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the action taken by the Government to increase the area into Deep Sea Mining ?
(a) whether the Government has formulated any new policy for exploiting mineral
resources from the deep sea;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the action taken by the Government to increase the area into Deep Sea Mining ?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT
CHARGE) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OCEAN DEVELOPMENT (KAPIL SIBAL)
(a)&(b) Yes, Sir. The Government is implementing Polymetallic Nodules Programme
for exploration and development of relevant technologies in the Pioneer area allotted
to India in Central Indian Ocean Basin for potential exploitation of polymetallic nodules
from deep sea. As a part of development of technologies for deep sea mining under this
programme, a crawler based shallow bed sand mining system has been developed and
demonstrated for sand mining at a water depth of 410 meters off Tuticorin coast.
Government has also set up a semi-continuous pilot plant with a capacity of processing
500 kg polymetallic nodules per day for extracting metals viz., copper, nickel and cobalt
at Hindustan Zinc Ltd., Udaipur.
(c)The Government has undertaken the survey for Delineation of Outer Limits of Continental
Shelf extending beyond the existing Exclusive Economic Zone of India. The documentations
are required to be submitted before the United Nation for delineation of continental shelf by
May 2009 .