Lok Sabha Question No. 3550 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-08
Subject: Ocean Observation System
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3550 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 08, 2018

## OCEAN OBSERVATION SYSTEM

## 3550.  SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  Ocean  Observation  Systems  set  up  so  far  in  the country, State/ UT-wise;
- (b) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  develop  further  Ocean Observation Systems across the country;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, State/UTwise and benefits thereof;
- (d)
- whether any funds have been sanctioned for this purpose; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the time by when they are likely to be developed?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (Dr. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) The  Ministry  has  been  implementing  a  major  program  on  Ocean Observations  System.  The  ocean  observation  system  has  been designed to acquire real-time, time series data on surface meteorological  and  upper  oceanographic  parameters  from  the seasaround India including from the Indian Ocean Region. A wide range of ocean observationsystems are deployed in different parts of the Indian Ocean for acquisition of specificoceanparameters on different  spatial  and  temporal  scales.  These  include  moored buoys, drifters, current meters, wave rider buoys, argo floats, tide gauges, coastal radars and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers(ADCP), which are broadly classified into two categoriesviz. drifters and moored. The primary purpose of acquiring a suite of accurate measurementsof ocean parameters is  to  cater  research  and  a  wide  range  of  operational  services includingissue  of  issue  of  early  warning  to  tsunami  and  storm surges.  Besides,  the  information  from  the  seas  around  India  is extremely  useful  of  ocean-atmospheric  modelling  purposes  and validation of satellite data.  One of the major observing systems is moored buoy network, equipped with deployment and maintenance of a set of buoys at fixed locations in the Exclusive Economic Zone of India (EEZ) for obtaining long term data. These buoys  are  capable  of  collecting  data  upto  76  parameters  and

transmitting  the  information  in  real  time  through  satellites.  The ocean  observing  systems  are  primarily  deployed,  operated  and maintained by four organizations viz., National Institute of Ocean Technology  (NIOT),  Chennai,  National  Institute  of  Oceanography (NIO), Goa, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS),  Hyderabad  and  Survey  of  India,  Dehradun.  All  the systems  except  Tide  gauges  and  coastal  Radar  are  deployed  in the EEZ of India, outside jurisdiction of coastal states/UT of India. The  details  of  major  observations  systems  deployed,  operated, maintainedand supported by India and their current status are as under

| Type of Platform                         |   Target |   Commissioned till June, 2018 |   Data received during June, 2018 |
|------------------------------------------|----------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| Argo Floats *                            |      200 |                            323 |                               147 |
| Drifters*                                |      150 |                            108 |                                 4 |
| Moored Buoys                             |       16 |                             20 |                                20 |
| Tide Gauges                              |       36 |                             35 |                                27 |
| High Frequency (HF) Radars               |       10 |                             10 |                                10 |
| Current Meter Array                      |       10 |                             11 |                                 2 |
| Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) |       20 |                             20 |                                15 |
| Tsunami Buoys                            |        7 |                              9 |                                 5 |
| Wave Rider Buoy                          |       16 |                             17 |                                10 |

*The remaining floats/drifters have completed their life time and as such no data can be received from them.

- (b) No Madam. There is no proposal  to  further  develop  the  existing Ocean Observing Systems across the country other than continuing the maintenance of the present installed systems.
- (c) Doesn't arise.
- (d) The  details  of  fund  allocated  for  12 th   Plan  period  (2012-17)  and 2017-18 (Rs. In crores) are as follows:

| No.   | Type of Observing System/Institute                                    |   2012 - 13 |   2013- 14 |   2014 - 15 |   2012- 16 |   2016 - 17 |   Total |
|-------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|---------|
| 1     | Argo profiling floats (INCOIS)                                        |        6    |       6    |        6    |       6    |        6    |   30    |
| 2     | Drifters (INCOIS)                                                     |        2    |       2    |        2    |       2    |        2    |   10    |
| 3     | XBT/XCTD (INCOIS)                                                     |        2.5  |       2.5  |        2.5  |       2.5  |        2.5  |   12.5  |
| 4     | Equatorial and coastal current meter array (INCOIS)                   |        4.1  |       5.6  |        4.1  |       2.6  |        2.6  |   19    |
| 5     | Coastal ADCP moorings (INCOIS)                                        |        3    |       4.5  |        4.5  |       3.5  |        3    |   18.5  |
| 6     | Marine met. Ocean parameters onboard Ships/Rigs (AWS & wave) (INCOIS) |        2.1  |       2.1  |        2.1  |       0.6  |        0.6  |    7.5  |
| 7     | Wave rider buoys along the coast of India (INCOIS)                    |        1.6  |       2.1  |        2.1  |       0.6  |        0.6  |    7    |
| 8     | Bay of Bengal Observatory (INCOIS)                                    |        1.45 |       2.45 |        1.7  |       0.7  |        0.7  |    7    |
| 9     | Other Observation network - (INCOIS)                                  |        2.84 |       4.64 |        5.54 |       2.84 |        1.09 |   16.95 |
| 10    | Calibration and Validation site (NIOT)                                |        1.18 |       1.42 |        4.3  |       1.33 |        1.5  |    9.73 |
| 11    | Coastal Radar (NIOT)                                                  |        2.4  |       2.4  |        2.9  |       2.9  |        3.4  |   14    |
| 12    | Moored Data Buoys (Met-Ocean and Tsunami) and Gliders (NIOT)          |        6    |      29.75 |       30.75 |      43    |       37    |  146.5  |
|       | Grand Total                                                           |       35.17 |      65.46 |       68.49 |      68.57 |       60.99 |  298.68 |

|   No. | Type of Observing System                                                                                                                                                                                                     |   2017-18 |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------|
|     1 | Argo profiling floats, Drifters, XBT/XCTD, Equatorial and coastal current meter array, Coastal ADCP moorings, Marine met. Ocean parameters onboard Ships/Rigs (AWS & wave) , Wave rider buoys, and Bay of Bengal Observatory |     23.68 |
|     2 | Moored Data Buoys (Met-Ocean and Tsunami) and Gliders                                                                                                                                                                        |     31.5  |
|     3 | Coastal Radar (NIOT)                                                                                                                                                                                                         |      3.5  |

(e) This  is  an  ongoing  programme.  The  various  ocean  observing systems installed at selected locations have been functional over a period time.

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