Context

Recently, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has launched India’s first manned ocean mission “Samudrayaan” in Chennai.

• With this Unique Ocean Mission, India joined the elite club of nations such as the US, Russia, France, Japan, and China to have niche technology and vehicles to carry out subsea activities.

About

• It is the first unique manned ocean mission that aims to send men to the depths of the ocean by submarine to explore the deep sea and excavation of rare minerals.
• It will send three people to a MATSYA 6000 submarine at a depth of 6000 meters at sea for deep underwater studies.
• Shipmarines can travel only 200 feet [200 m].
• It is part of the Rs 6000-crores Deep Ocean Mission.

MATSYA 6000

• It is an indigenously developed manned submersible vehicle.
• It will facilitate the MoES in conducting in-depth ocean exploration of resources such as gas hydrates, polymetallic manganese nodules, hydro-thermal sulfides, and cobalt crusts which are found at approximate depths between 1000 and 5500 meters.
• Polymetallic nodules, also called manganese nodules, are mineral concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core.

Significance

• This will open up more growth channels to test marine resources for clean energy, drinking water, and blue economy.
• Developed countries are already engaged in similar maritime activities. India is the first country in the developing world to engage in deep ocean activity.

Other Related initiatives

• India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development
• Sagarmala Project
• O-SMART
• Integrated Coastal Zone Management
• National Fisheries Policy