India’s ambitious mission to send scientists to explore the depths of the ocean in specially-designed submersible Samudrayaan got a boost with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocating Rs 600 crore for the Deep Ocean Mission. The mission involves mapping deep ocean floors and developing technologies like a manned submersible with 6000 m water-depth rating. It also involves exploration of deep-sea mining for sustainable utilisation of deep-sea bioresources and developing engineering designs for offshore thermal energy-driven desalination plants.
India plans to send a manned-submersible, developed by the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), up to a depth of 500 metres in the ocean later this year, and gradually explore the seabed at the depth of 6,000 meters next year.
The finance minister also allocated 1,329 crore for Mission Mausam, an Earth Sciences Ministry initiative to improve weather forecasting capabilities.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences, which is steering the Deep Ocean Mission, got an allocation of around 3,650 crore rupees in the Union Budget, presented yesterday.
