Govt to auction 7 seabed mineral blocks near Great Nicobar Island

At the auction launch, Mines Secretary VL Kantha Rao stated that the 13 blocks were chosen aft the Geological Survey of India (GSI) explored fractional of astir 6 lakh quadrate kilometers it identified arsenic imaginable seabed mining areas.

“After the information that we person generated and the exploration enactment that we person done, it is present astir important that we bring the backstage manufacture into the mining of these metals,” Rao said.

“To marque it precise charismatic for the industry, we person kept the royalty rates astatine a precise minimum level. We person selected immoderate of the champion blocks that are available, which are commercially viable and we are present looking for the manufacture partners who volition travel and spouse with america successful exploiting this mineral wealth, successful making usage of this mineral wealthiness for the economical improvement of the country,” helium added.

Rao besides announced that the ministry plans to behaviour roadshows successful countries specified arsenic the UK, Netherlands, and South Africa, which person precocious expertise successful offshore mining technologies.

All 13 blocks are being auctioned for a composite licence, requiring winning bidders to behaviour further exploration earlier commencing mining operations. Tender documents volition beryllium disposable from December 3, with the deadline for bid submissions acceptable for February 27 adjacent year. The reserve terms for each blocks has been fixed astatine 1 percent.

These blocks prevarication wrong India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), extending 200 nautical miles into the sea. Of the 13 blocks, 3 are disconnected the Gujarat seashore adjacent Porbandar, portion 3 disconnected Kerala are located adjacent Kollam.

The remaining seven, successful the Andaman Sea, are situated connected the West Sewell Ridge eastbound of Great Nicobar Island, wherever the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) precocious completed exploratory mining trials utilizing an indigenously developed oversea mining system. Rich successful polymetallic nodules and crusts containing manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper, these blocks clasp minerals captious for cleanable vigor technologies specified arsenic electrical conveyance batteries and upwind turbines.

The Great Nicobar Island is besides the tract of the cardinal government’s Rs 72,000 crore mega infrastructure project, which includes a transshipment port, an airport, a state and star powerfulness plant, and 2 greenfield coastal cities. The task was initially conceived by the government’s apex deliberation tank, NITI Aayog.

However, the task has sparked contention owed to biology concerns, including imaginable harm to coral reefs, leatherback turtle nesting sites, Nicobar megapode nesting mounds, and the ancestral lands of the Great Nicobarese Scheduled Tribe community. Next month, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is scheduled to perceive ongoing petitions challenging the greenish clearances granted to the task by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.