India to release Blue Economy Policy: Minister of Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh

New Delhi, July 29 (KNN) Land is almost exhausted and the ocean is where Indian scientists will carry out explorations in the coming years. We are finalising and will soon come up with a policy for the ‘blue economy’,” Dr Jitendra Singh, minister for Earth Sciences (MoES) said on Wednesday.

While addressing the 16th foundation day of MoES in New Delhi, singh highlighted the importance of the blue economy. He said that ‘Blue economy’ aims at optimal utilisation of all sectors of the maritime domain, from living and non-living resources, tourism, and ocean energy towards the sustainable development of coastal areas.

The proposed marine policy will include recommendations from the National Accounting Framework for Blue Economy and Ocean Governance, Coastal Marine Spatial Planning and Tourism, marine and fisheries department, aquaculture and fish processing, manufacturing sectors, emerging industries, trade, technology, services and skill development, logistics, infrastructure and shipping, coastal and Deep-Sea Mining and offshore energy and security.

At the foundation day ceremony, four services relating to the oceans, earthquakes, climate data and coastal health were inaugurated. These services are developed by different MoES institutes.

One such product was the buoy-based automated coastal observatory and water quality now casting system developed by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad.

This buoy-based observatory, deployed off the coast of Cochin, will make real-time measurements of coastal water quality by measuring 19 parameters including dissolved oxygen, carbon-di-oxide, nutrients, hydrocarbons and pigments.  (KNN Bureau)