Deep Ocean Mission
Context:
- Following information was given by the Minister of State (I/C) for M/o Earth Sciences and M/o Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
- Deep Ocean Mission would not result in any over exploitation of the marine resources by the corporate houses and will not affect the life and livelihoods of fishers in the country.
- The Deep Ocean Mission aims to explore deep-oceanic resources and develop technologies for their sustainable use.
- The outcome of the program is intended to identify potential new resources and develop technology for harnessing them in future, which may generate additional opportunity for livelihoods.
About the Deep Ocean Mission
- The mission has been laid on similar terms as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) performs space research
- However, India’s Deep Ocean Mission will solely focus on studying and exploring the deepwater bodies in our country for undiscovered minerals, stones, living or non-living entities
- Both, man force and robotic machines will be used for the mission
- Tasks like deep-sea mining, energy exploration, survey of the objects found, and off-shore desalination will be taken up rigorously
- The technological developments done for the Deep Ocean Mission will be funded by the Government scheme “Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O-SMART)”
- Study and research on the climatic changes in the Ocean and other advisory services will be done through this mission
- The focus will also be given on underwater technologies for convenient research
- Two key projects have been included in the Deep Ocean Mission
- A Desalination Plant
- Submersible Vehicle, which can explore upto 6000 metres in depth
- The parts of the ocean which are yet to be explored and are hidden and undiscovered will all be covered through this mission.
- It is a central sector scheme.
- The major objectives of the Deep Ocean Mission are as follows:
- Development of technologies for deep sea mining, underwater vehicles and underwater robotics;
- Development of ocean climate change advisory services;
- Technological innovations for exploration and conservation of deepsea biodiversity;
- Deep ocean survey and exploration;
- Proof of concept studies on energy and freshwater from the ocean; and
- Establishing advanced marine station for ocean biology.
Source: THE HINDU.