from Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Feb 27: The riches explored from the depth of the ocean, 5,000 metres below the sea and 3,500 kms away from Goa’s coast is a major attraction for the coastal state’s ongoing Science Fiesta organized by the state government.
 
The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) researchers have discovered these manganese modules which could be mined as next generation mineral resource when the mineral stockpiles on surface are depleting.
 
“The International Sea-bed authority has already licenced India to explore these poly-metalic modules for the area of 75,000 sq kms,” Vineesh T C, NIO’s senior research fellow, told reporters here.
 
The NIO’s stall is prominently displayed at the Science Fiesta organized by Goa Science centre at Miramar, overlooking the picturesque beach.
 
The crowd, mostly comprising of the students, are inquisitive about the piece of manganese modules on display at the science fiesta.
 
“These can be next coming mineral resources. The study is being conducted to know whether we can make the mining of these resources economical viable activity,” the research fellow explained.
 
These modules are poly-metalic as they contain 20 to 30 per cent manganese besides other contents like copper, cobalt and zinc.
 
“These minerals are spread over 3 lac square kilometers of sea bed. It takes 10 to 15 million years to produce these minerals,” he stated.
 
The NIO, country’s only body exploring the depths of ocean, had explored this mineral in the late 80s. The research vessels like UK’s Scandy Surveyor and NIO’s Sagar Kanya were used in these expeditions.
 
He said that NIO’s geological department deals with this subject and is constantly experimenting on this mineral resource.