'Developing equipment to tap gas hydrates from Indian Ocean'

To meet India's growing demand for energy, the ministry of earth sciences is developing high-end equipment to harness and exploit the deposits of gas hydrates in Indian Ocean, said a top official here Friday.

Speaking at the ongoing World Ocean Science Congress (WOSC-2015) here, union Earth Sciences Secretary Shailesh Nayak said the gas hydrate - or crystalline form of methane and water, existing in shallow sediments of outer continental margins - deposits will be a sustained source of energy for the whole country.

"The Earth System Science Organization is testing the equipment and analysing data collected through swath bathymetry, deep tow side scan, heat flow measurements. Also, efforts are on to harness resources such as polymetalic nodules and hydrothermal sulphides from deep ocean," he added.

Nayak also said a global collaboration was needed for discussing and evolving a comprehensive policy framework for governance, research and management of international waters.

"A comprehensive ocean policy is required to address ocean governance, research and management as well as sustainable use of resources for social benefit," he said and stressed the need for a co-ordinated action plan for developing and improving capability to forecast weather, climate and hazard related phenomena for societal, economic and environmental benefits as well as to explore the ocean resources.

Describing the ongoing researches and initiatives by his ministry to tap the ocean resources, he said that as part of efforts to produce drugs from such resources, the phase I clinical trials for an anti-diabetic compound has already been launched.

He said an International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography is being set up under the Indian Ocean Global Ocean Observing System for boosting ocean research programmes.