India to explore seabed minerals: Minister of State

Ludhiana, August 12

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is now considering two proposals made by India for approval of a work plan for the exploration of polymetallic sulphides and cobalt crust in the Indian Ocean.

Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, responded to queries about a 'licence for seabed mineral mining' posed by Ludhiana MP Sanjeev Arora during the just concluded Rajya Sabha session.

The minster said India already had two contracts with the ISA for the exploration of polymetallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean Basin and polymetallic sulphides in the. The minister also talked about the Samudrayaan project which aimed to construct a manned submersible capable of carrying three persons to a depth of 6,000 m in the ocean, as well as a suite of scientific sensors for ocean exploration and observation. — TNS