(A) WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT OPROPOSE TO START THE FULL EXPLOITATION OF THE SEA RESOURCES LOCATED IN THE INDIAN MARITIME ZONE.
(B) IF SO, THE DETAILS THEREOF;
(C) WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT HAVE APPOINTED ANY WORKING GROUP IN THIS REGARD;
(D) IF SO, THE DETAILS THERELF;
(E) WHETHER ANY SURVEY IN THIS REGARD HAS BEEN CONDUCTED;
(F) IF SO, THE DETAILS AND OUTCOME OF THE SURVEY?
MINISTER FOR HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND OCEAN DEVELOPMENT (DR. MURLI MANOHAR JOSHI)
(A)&(B) VARIOUS MANERALS AND HYDROCARBON RESOURCES ARE KNOWN TO OCCUR IN THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE(EEZ) IN THE WATERS AROUND INDIA. HYDROCARBON RESOURCES ARE BEING EXPLOITED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS. THERE IS NO PROPOSAL FOR THE EXPLOITATION OF OTHER MINIRAL RESOURCES FROM THE OFFSHORE AREAS.
(A) NO WORKING GROUP HAS BEEN SET UP FOR THE EXPLOITATION OF MINERALS AND HYDROCARBON RESOURCES IN THE OFFSHORE AREAS IN THE EEZ.
(B) DOES NOT ARISE.
(E)&(F) YES, SIR. THE SURVEYS TO EXPLORE AND ESTIMATE MINERAL RESOURCES IN THE INDIAN EEZ ARE AN ONGOING PROCESS. ESTIMATES OF MINERAL RESOURCES AND HYDROCARBON RESERVES ARE THEREFORE REGULARLY UPDATED.
MINERAL RESOURCES
(1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (MARINE WING) HAS UNDERTAKEN SEA BED SURVEY AND INVESTIGATIONS RELATING TO EARTH SCIENCES, WITHIN THE EEZ OF INDIA, TO DELINEATE POTENTIAL AREAS FOR MARINE NON-LIVING RESOURCES. SEABED SURVEYS HAVE BEENCARRIED OUT IN ARABIAN SEA. BAY OF BENGAL AND ANDAMAN SEA WITHIN EEZ INCLUDING TERRITORIAL WATERS. THEY HAVE DELINEATED HEAAVY MINERAL SANDS CONPRISING LIMENITE, RUTILE, ZIRCON, SILLIMANITE, MONAZITE AND GARNET OFF ORISSA, ANDHRA, KERALA AND KARNATAKA COASTS, HIGH GRADE LIME-MUD DEPOSIT IN WATER DEPTHS OF 180 TO 1200 M OFF GUJARAT COAST AND IN WATER DEPTHS OF 100 TO200 M OFF GUJARAT COASTS; 2-5 CM THICK LAYER OF MICRO-MANGANESE NODULES IN WATER DEPTH OF 2800 TO 4300 M IN LAKSHADWEEP SEA; OOLITES AND CALCAREOUS SAND IN WATER DEPTH OF 50 TO 200 M OFF MAHARASHTRA AND GUJARAT COASTS; CALCAREOUS SEDIMENTS IN WATER DEPTH OF 1000 M, WEST OF ANDAMAN NICOBAR GROUP OF ISLANDS; FERR-MANGANESE ENCRUSTATIONS WITH HIGH VALUES OF NICKEL, COBALT AND LEAD HAS BEEN RECORDED FROM LAKSHADWEEP SEA AT A WATER DEPTH OF 1562 M.
HYDROCARBON
(2) VARIOUS MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO FIND NEW HYDROCARBON RESERVE BY, INTER ALIA, EXTENDING EXPLORATION TO DEEP WATERS AND FRONTIER AREAS, INCREASING PRIVATE PARTICIPATION IJN EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES. GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO FORMULATED NEW EXPLORATIONLICENCING POLICY (NELP) TO EXPLORE AND ENHANCE THE PRODUCTION OF CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS IN THE COUNTRY INCLUDING OFSHORE AREAS. GOVERNMENT HAS SIGNED 54 PRODUCTION SHARING CONTRACTS FOR THE OFFSHORE AREAS IN THE FIRST THREE ROUNDS OF NELP. RESERVES OF HYDROCARABONS ARE REGULARLY UPDATED THROUGH GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS.