1.      INTRODUCTION

 

India with a coastline of over 7500 km length and about 2.02 sq. km area within the Exclusive Economic Zone offers immense scope for exploration and exploitation of the living and non-living resources. The vastness, complexity and uncertainty of the ocean environment calls for a coordinated, centralised and highly sophisticated development response. This should be based on adequate knowledge of marine space as a fundamental pre-requisite to the control, management and utilisation of the rich and varied resources available in the sea. In addition to the basic knowledge to determine the potentiality inherent in the Indian seas, we have to develop appropriate technologies for optimally harnessing these resources.

 

The Department of Ocean Development (DOD) was created in July 1981 to function as a nodal department for organising, coordinating and promoting ocean development activities in the country, in line with the Ocean Policy Statement. The salient features of the Policy Statement and thrust areas include:

 

Ø       Exploratory survey, assessment and sustainable utilisation/harnessing of the ocean resources including living, non-living and renewable sources of ocean energy.

Ø       Technological advances geared to the utilisation and preservation of the marine environment.

Ø       Development of technology relating to instrumentation, diving systems, position fixing, materials development, oceanic data collecting devices, submersibles, etc.

Ø       Developmental activities related to integrated coastal and marine area management, coastal community development, etc., with direct application to the welfare of the society.

Ø       Establishment of an ocean related information system using indigenous and foreign sources.

Ø       International co-operation in Ocean Science and Technology.

Ø       Development of technologies relating to seabed mining, extractive metallurgy and conducting Environmental Impact Assessment studies.

Ø       Contribution towards front ranking research in polar sciences.

Ø       Basic and applied research in Ocean Science and Technology, Human Resource Management, creation of Centres of Excellence in academic institutions and public awareness on the potential and uses of ocean.

 

The underlying philosophy of the programmes and activities under taken by DOD is one of  the  environment friendly exploration and sustainable utilization of marine living and non-living resources for the socio-economic benefit of the country.

 

The Department made its humble beginning with introduction of programmes in polar science and polymetallic nodules. Subsequently, with the adoption of the Ocean Policy Statement, UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992 and consequent to the coming into force of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1994, the activities of the Department were expanded and oriented towards exploration and exploitation of marine living and non-living resources for socio-economic benefit and protection of the marine environment.

 

The Plan outlay for the Department’s programmes increased from about Rs.110.00 crore in the Sixth Five Year Plan to Rs.510.62 crore during the 9^th Plan period, with manifold expansion of the Department’s activities covering a wide range of subjects such as Polar Science and Antarctic Expedition, Marine Living Resources, Marine Non-living Resources, Marine Environment and Coastal Zone Management, Ocean Observation and Information Services, Marine Research and Capacity Building, International programmes including Delineation of Outer Limits of Continental Shelf, etc. The said activities of the Department are directed towards development, dissemination and use of the Ocean Science and Technology, with the active participation and support of a large number of National Research Laboratories, educational/academic institutions, private R&D institutions, industries, etc.

 

Ø       Establishment of National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) in Goa and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, as autonomous societies under DOD, for carrying out andimplementing programmes in the realms of Polar Science and Ocean Observation and Information Services, respectively.

Ø       Completion and commissioning of the new campus in a record time of 18 months for National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) at Chennai and NCAOR in Goa.

Ø       Launching of the Indian Antarctic Expedition from Cape Town in South Africa as the base, resulting in substantial saving in time and cost, besides helping in closer cooperation between India and South Africa and other countries  using South Africa as base, in the area of Polar science.

Ø       Introduction of multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional programmes for Assessment of Marine Living Resources beyond 70 m depth in the Indian EEZ through the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology.

Ø       Development and successful testing of the Integrated Shallow Bed Mining System at a depth of 410 m off Chennai coast as a prelude to development of deep sea mining system for operation at 6000 m water depth.

Ø       Establishment of a 500 kg\day semi-continuous demonstration plant for extraction of metal from polymetallic nodules.

Ø       Implementation of an Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management (ICMAM) programme for Capacity Building by establishing an ICMAM Project Directorate at Chennai.

Ø       Establishment of a National Data Buoy programme for collection and dissemination of oceanographic data on real time basis for deploying 12 Met Ocean Data Buoys along the coastal and offshore waters of India .

Ø       Setting up of Ocean Science and Technology Cells covering 8 different disciplines in 9 Universities in specific areas, as a measure of human resource development and capacity building.

Ø       Design, integration and installation of a floating 1 MW Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion plant by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), which is expected to be commissioned by the end of this financial year.

Ø       Marine Archaeological finds in the Gulf of Cambay by the scientists of NIOT.

Ø       Design, development and installation of indigenously built Acoustic Tide Gauges in different coastal regions of India and Vietnam.

Ø       Production of prototype transducers for underwater instruments.

Ø       Development of a technology for enhancement of marine living resources through fattening of lobsters and mud crab as a part of the Island Development programme.

Ø       Initiation of a programme for taking up bathymetric and seismic survey for delineation of India’s continental shelf, etc.

 

This report outlines in detail the achievements under various programmes and projects implemented by the Department during 2001-02.