The country would take up a deep-sea exploration for hydrocarbons in September, said Ranjith Rath, Chairman and Managing Director of Oil India. The country would begin its exploration somewhere in the North Sea.
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An exploration for oil in the east and west coast and in the Andaman and Nicobar basin is also on the anvil, he said at the inauguration of the third edition of the World Ocean Science Congress here on Tuesday.
The three-day congress will discuss ways to sustainably use the ocean’s resources, said G.A. Ramadass, Director of the National Institute of Ocean Technology. The draft copy of ‘Blue Economy’, announced in the 1990s, is due for unveiling, he said. There is also a proposal to send three aquanauts to a depth of 6,000 m on an exploration mission, he added.
Officials from the various organisations who participated in the inaugural session explained that a policy for blue economy should consider not just the long coastline but that a fifth of the country’s population lives within 10km of coastal zone. Also, around 28 million fishermen rely on the seas for livelihood, making them important stakeholders.
The theme of the Congress is ‘Sustainable Utilisation of Oceans in Blue Economy’. An exhibition of maritime achievements and technology was also inaugurated on the occasion.