Funds for Research in Andaman

LOK SABHA

During the XI Five year plan period, an allocation of Rs.30.00 crores is made under the Island Development programme of Ministry of Earth Sciences. This covers research pertaining to Andaman & Nicobar islands, Lakshdweep islands and adjoining seas.

National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) an autonomous institute under Ministry of Earth Sciences has developed technology for farming and fattening of mud crabs in floating cages and pens in brackish water lakes, canals and in the mangrove areas in Andaman. The technology has been transferred to fishermen in Andamans. The floating cellular cages designed and fabricated by NIOT for fattening crabs are used in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Further, NIOT has designed, fabricated oceanic Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) deployments in sea to increase fish catch.

The oceanographic parameters of Andaman sea act as the benchmark for pollution free coastal environment towards monitoring of coastal ocean pollution in rest of the offshore areas of India and in this regard, samplings are carried out 4 times a year representing the seasonal variations.

Under the project on development of drugs from sea, so far 413 marine organisms were collected from Andaman Sea out of which, 61 samples were found to be potent bioactive metabolites. After confirmation of activity in the repeat extractions, four extracts showed bioactivity at very low concentrations.

During the last 3 years Rs. 609.41 lakhs have been spent by the Ministry of Earth Sciences for the Research on Andaman sea and nearby areas.

This information was given by Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Kapil Sibal, in the Lok Sabha today.

Source: Press Inormation Bureau
Date: March 04, 2008