Oceans hold a wealth of resources, yet much of their potential remains untapped: Director Genral of GSI

Marine and Coastal Survey Division of the GSI organises a workshop on ‘offshore exploration synergies and opportunities’ in Mangaluru

V.L. Kantha Rao, Secretary, Union Ministry of Mines speaking after inaugurating a workshop on ‘Offshore Exploration Synergies and Opportunities’ organised by Geological Survey of India, in Mangaluru on Thursday, February 15. | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH

Participants at a workshop on ‘Offshore Exploration Synergies and Opportunities’ in Mangaluru on Thursday, February 15. | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH

Director General of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) Janardan Prasad said here on Thursday, February 15, that oceans hold a wealth of resources, yet much of their potential remained untapped.

“It is our collective responsibility to harness this potential in a sustainable and responsible manner, ensuring that future generations can benefit from these riches,” he said.

He was addressing a gathering at the inauguration of a workshop on ‘offshore exploration synergies and opportunities’ organised by the Marine and Coastal Survey Division of the GSI, under the Union Ministry of Mines.

Mr. Janardan said that since its establishment in 1965, the Marine Division of GSI has successfully mapped 20.42 million sq. km out of 21.59 million sq. km of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), to generate baseline data. During this process, an area of 5.89 lakh sq. km of areas has been demarcated as the Obvious Potential Area for offshore mineralisation — including heavy mineral placers, polymetallic crusts and nodules, lime mud, phosphorite, construction sand, and hydrothermal sulphides, among others.

The baseline data collected by GSI is being extensively utilised by a variety of user agencies, such as the Indian Navy, National Hydrography Office (NHO), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Science (INCOIS), National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), and the Naval Physical Oceanographic Laboratories (NPOL-DRDO), to name a few, he said.

The Secretary of the Union Ministry of Mines V.L. Kantha Rao said that the GSI has already handed over 35 mineral exploration blocks (areas identified) to the government for mining. In addition, 24 more blocks are in the pipeline to be handed over to the Union government to take up mining.

“With the Offshore Areas Mineral (Regulation and Development) Amendment Act, 2023 in place, we are now ready for taking up both exploration and mining through the participation of the private sector in the blocks that are already been identified,” he said.

“We will be able to auction these blocks after two to three months. That is our target,” the secretary said.

The Ministry is also in the process of developing the process, procedure, norms, and standard operating procedures that will take care of the requirements once the private sector bidder gets the block in an auction to move forward for its exploitation, he said.

Mr. Rao said that the country has 70% more area which is available for mining and exploitation.