The work on design and development of test mining system was entrusted to the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur in 1989-90. As a part of the implementation of the first phase, a remotely operated collector unit and a bucket-in-pipeline system were designed, fabricated and tested in a shallow basin of 4.5 mtr. depth specially constructed for the purpose. During 1994-95, the second phase of the programme was directed towards the design and development of major subsystems taking into consideration the gap areas identified during the first phase of pilot testing in a shallow basin. Subsequently, the Department constituted a Committee under the chairmanship of Shri M. Gopalakrishna, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines to plan and review the development of mining system being carried out at CMERI, Durgapur. The Committee recommended complete reorientation of the programme taking into consideration the international scenario of deep seabed mining. The development of mining system has now been reoriented and stage-wise development of mining system has been envisaged as it would not be possible to go directly for development of deep seabed mining system for operation at depths ranging from 5000 - 6000 metre.

During the year, major efforts were directed to:-

- Design, development and testing of a remotely operated vehicle at a depth of 4.5 mtr. and CMERI initiated action for design, development and testing of an upgraded version of ROV.

- Design and development of sand mining system in shallow seabed at Chavara (Kerala).

- Design and development of multi-user subsystem for deep sea mining and other applications.

The Indian Rare Earths Ltd. (IREL), a subsidiary of Department of Atomic Energy has been designated as the nodal agency for testing of shallow seabed mining system at Chavara site near their existing plant.

The Department decided to launch a joint programme with the Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL), Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) to establish a pilot sand mining system at Chavara. In this context an international workshop on Environmental Impact of Seabed Mining was organised at Kochi during April 1994. Scientists from Biolab Research Institute, Hamburg University, Germany attended the workshop. The workshop addressed the problem of environmental impact assessment at Chavara.