The Government has taken up the work on survey and mapping of various marine resources.  The Ministry of Earth Sciences is implementing a programme on Studies on Gas Hydrates Exploration and Technology Development.  This includes mapping of possible locations of gas hydrates.

The mineral exploration in the offshore areas of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India is carried out by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) under the Ministry of Mines. The exploratory surveys and mapping of marine fishery resources in offshore waters of EEZ of India are carried out by the Fishery Survey of India (FSI) and Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), an attached office under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) including the EEZ off Gujarat coast.  Further, the marine biota is sampled by Ministry of Earth Sciences towards development of potential drugs from sea. The Ministry of Earth Sciences is also carrying out work on Low Temperature Thermal Desalination Technology (LTTD) for generating freshwater from sea including the survey and mapping of suitable sites for setting up the desalination plants in Islands communities at Lakshadweep.


The major outcomes in the course of survey carried out so far along the Indian Coasts including coastal belt of Gujarat are furnished at:

Annexure-I:

(i)                 Based on the analysis of multichannel seismic data, two gas hydrates sites of 100 km x 100 km have been identified in Krishna – Godavari (KG) and Mahanadi basins for detailed survey under the programme on studies of gas hydrate exploration and technology development, implemented by Ministry of Earth Sciences.

(ii)               As a part of a programme on Marine Living Resources implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, qualitative information on deep-sea fishery of Indian EEZ along the 200-1000 meters depth contours have been gathered.  Similarly, comprehensive information on the marine benthos of the shelf and slope areas (upto 1000 meters) of the Indian EEZ have been generated under the programme.

(iii)             During the course of carrying out systematic seabed mapping along with survey, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) under the Ministry of Mines has delineated occurrences of mineral resources in the EEZ of India including the territorial waters and oolite & calcareous sands, high grade lime mud occurrences and phosphatic sediments offGujarat coast.

(iv)             The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences has setup a Low Temperature Thermal Desalination Technology (LTTD) plant generating 1 lakh litre of fresh water per day for island communities at Kavarati, Lakshadweep by using the temperature gradient between the sea surface water and deep sea water.


This was stated by Shri Prithviraj Chavan, the Minister of State (I/C) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences in the Rajya  Sabha.

Source:PIB