Deep Ocean Mission important for India’s future: MoES secretary

Srinivasa Kumar Tumalla, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), has emphasized the significance of the Deep Ocean Mission for India's future, while addressing concerns of coastal communities about potential impacts of deep-sea mining on fishing and livelihoods. Currently, only exploratory surveys are being conducted, which are far from the Indian coast, at depths of approximately 5,000 meters in the central Indian Ocean basin, around 2,500 kilometers away.

Tumalla reassured that fishers should not worry about such impacts. He highlighted that the Deep Ocean Mission, which includes deep-sea mining for minerals, is crucial for India, hence the Union government has taken it on a mission mode. The Indian government has ongoing exploration contracts with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for polymetallic nodules and polymetallic sulphides, both of which are vital for various technologies like electric vehicles and power grids.

Exploratory activities are currently underway, with contracts covering an area of about 75,000 sq km for polymetallic nodules and 10,000 sq km for polymetallic sulphides. The actual mining operations are expected to take time as the mining code needs to be operational, and comprehensive environmental assessments must be completed.