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The Deep Ocean Mission (also known as the Samudra yaan programme, which means “Sea Craft” in Sanskrit) is an Indian initiative to explore the deep ocean around India’s exclusive economic zones and continental shelf.Various human and unmanned submersibles will be used to explore the seabed as part of the initiative. The mission’s main goal is to find and recover polymetallic nodules made up of minerals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper, and iron hydroxide. Electronic devices, smartphones, batteries, and solar panels all benefit from the metals.
Deep Ocean Mission- Samudra yaan history
On January 26, 1981, the government financed the programme on polymetallic nodules (PMN) at CSIR-NIO, which began with the gathering of the first nodule sample from the Arabian Sea on board the first research vessel Gaveshani.
The ‘region’ for deep-sea mining was assigned by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an autonomous international organisation established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In 1987, India became the first country to be designated as a “Pioneer Investor,” receiving a 1.5 lakh sq km region in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) for nodule exploration.
This was based on a comprehensive survey conducted by CSIR-NIO scientists on numerous research ships, which resulted in the country being granted exclusive rights over an area of 150,000 km2 (58,000 sq mi) under UN law of the sea. In 1987, India was the first country in the world to support the investigation of polymetallic nodules, a deep sea mineral, in the central Indian Ocean basin.
India signed a contract with the ISA in 2002, and after completing a resource appraisal of the seabed, 50 percent of it was surrendered, leaving India with Following additional investigation, the mining area has been limited to 18,000 square kilometres, which would be the ‘First New gen Mine-site.’
Background
India has a 2,200,000 km2 (850,000 sq mi) Exclusive Economic Zone that is undeveloped and underutilised.
Exclusive Economic Zones are defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as areas within which a state has exclusive rights to explore and exploit marine resources.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) of the United Nations has given India a 150,000 km2 (58,000 sq mi) location in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) for the mining of polymetallic nodules (PMN), which are an amalgamation of iron and manganese hydroxide. 380 million metric tonnes of PMN are thought to be available at the bottom of the oceans in the central Indian Ocean.
It is projected that 10% of the recovered energy can supply India’s energy needs for the next 100 years.
The purpose and the objectives
The government has devised a five-year plan to mine, investigate, and study the ocean floor at a cost of Rs 8000 crore.
The plan’s goals include doing research that will lead to the creation of a climate change roadmap and assisting in the development of a tidal-powered desalination plant.
The development of a submersible vehicle capable of exploring depths of at least 6,000 metres is one of the important initiatives that will enable the above-mentioned study (20,000 ft).
Progress has been made
For the mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation designed a manned submersible capsule capable of travelling 6,000 metres below the surface. The news was presented on the margins of the National Institute of Ocean Technology’s silver jubilee festivities. Matsya 6000, a deep-submergence vehicle, is in the works. The vehicle’s first unmanned trial took place off the coast of Chennai on October 27, 2021, when the ‘personnel sphere’ was lowered to a depth of 600 metres. The trial went well, and the certification was granted for continued development. The “Samudra yaan” programme was formally launched on October 29, 2021, following the trial’s success.
Conclusion
This mission will encourage increased exploration and use of ocean resources for clean energy, drinking water, and the blue economy as a result of this mission.
The Mission is a multi-ministerial, multi-disciplinary initiative that focuses on deep-sea technology in development, such as manned submersible development, the procurement of a research vessel for ocean exploration, and capacity building in Marine Biology.Developed countries have already completed similar ocean missions, and India’s success with Samudrayaan might make it the first developing country to complete a deep ocean expedition.
