(a) the details of Islands development programme of the Government;
(b) the steps taken by the Government for the development of Islands; and
(c) the total budgetary allocation for the purpose during the last three years and the current year?
(a) the details of Islands development programme of the Government;
(b) the steps taken by the Government for the development of Islands; and
(c) the total budgetary allocation for the purpose during the last three years and the current year?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
(DR. ASHWANI KUMAR)
(a) Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has a program to set-up desalination plants in Lakshadweep Islands through National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous Institute under MoES. MoES has programs on Ocean Science and Technology for Islands dealing with development of mariculture technologies and Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS) for monitoring the health of coastal water of Andaman and Nicobar islands.
(b) Three desalination plants using Low Temperature Thermal Desalination Technology with a capacity of generating freshwater of 1 lakh litre per day (MLD) have been set-up by Ministry of Earth Sciences(MoES) at Kavaratti, Minicoy and Agatti in Lakshadweep Islands. Six more plants have been approved with a capacity of 1MLD at Amani, Kadamat, Chetalat, Kiltan, Kalpeni and Andrott Islands of Lakshadweep. Under Ocean Science and Technology for Islands of MoES, mariculture technologies, open sea cages for finfishes and fish aggregating devices have been developed for the benefit of the island communities in Andaman and Nicobar islands. Under the COMAPS program, the pollution in the adjoining sea is periodically monitored. In addition, the Environmental Impact Assessment studies for various development activities of islands are carried out. The Potential Fishing Zone Advisories, ocean state forecasts and Tsunami warning advisories are also issued for islands.
(c) An expenditure of Rs. 24.2218 crores was made by MoES for Ocean Science and Technologies for Islands and COMAPS for the last three years. A provision of Rs. 5 crores is kept under program on technologies for development of island communities for the current year 2012-13. An amount of Rs. 99 crores has been approved for setting up of six new desalination plants.