Ministry of Earth Sciences along with the Geological Survey of India to conduct undersea survey

NEW DELHI: The government is going to conduct a major oceanic survey in the country’s territorial waters, including parts of the Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Cambay and Andaman Sea, to look for prospects of under-sea mineral resources and natural gas.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences is taking up this initiative along with the Geological Survey of India and the Goa-based National Antarctic and Ocean Research Centre. “The survey will study 90,000 square kilometres of sea floor till 2014,” Ministry of Earth Sciences Secretary Shailesh Nayak said.

The survey would cover the Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea and Gulf Of Cambay. Nayak said the main purpose of the survey would be to assess the hydrocarbon and geochemical resources in the country’s territorial waters.