The Government of India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), is conducting a stakeholder consultation on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) developed to conduct technical trials concerning a nodule collector pre-prototype in the Central Indian Ocean Basin in 2021.

The aim of the trial is to test the capability of the pre-prototype within a limited area on the seabed, as part of its exploration contract for polymetallic nodules with the International Seabed Authority (ISA). As part of this process, MoES also plans to collect environmental data before and after the trials to assess the extent of impact on physico-chemical and biological conditions.

If you are interested in participating in the consultation, click here.

The MoES contract for exploration for polymetallic nodules with ISA was signed on 25 March 2002 and extended on 25 March 2017.

For enquiries, please contact:  Chapi Mwango, Chief, Contract Management Unit: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.