Lok Sabha Question No. 3260 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-12
Subject: O-SMART Programme
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Balashowry Vallabbhaneni

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3260

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY 12 TH  JULY 2019

## O-SMART PROGRAMME

## 3260. SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI:

## Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the  aims  and  objectives  of  Ocean  Services,  Technology,  Observations Resources Modelling and Science (O-SMART) Programme;
- (b) the extent to which the above programme help user communities in coastal areas like Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh (AP);
- (c) the estimated cost of the said project and the time by which it is likely to be completed;
- (d) whether the desalination plants are going to be set up under O-SMART Programme, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  set  up  the  same  in  the  huge coastal areas of AP; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The scheme on 'Ocean- Services, Modelling, Applications, Research and Technology (O-SMART) of Ministry of Earth Sciences aims to (i) provide a  suite  of  Ocean  Information  Services,  (ii)  develop  technology  for sustainable harnessing the ocean resources, (iii) promote front-ranking research and (iv) conduct scientific ocean surveys.
- (b) There  is  no  specific  programme  for  Machilipatnam,  Andhra  Pradesh. However, various ocean information services such as Potential Fishing Zone  (PFZ)  Advisory  services,  Ocean  State  Forecast  (OSF)  services, early warning services for tsunami, storm surges, high wave alerts are provided  to  the  coastal  population  of  India  including  Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh through Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services  (INCOIS)  on  a  daily  basis  in  operational  mode.  The  PFZ advisories help the fishermen community in locating the potential zones of  fish  aggregation  in  the  ocean  in  a  lesser  time  and  with  reduced human  effort.  The  OSF  services  are  provided  for  the  safety  of  the fishermen community and coastal population. These are crucial information   for the   fishermen    community   in    making  decision   on

venturing  into  the  sea.  The  information  is  disseminated  through  SMS, Voice  Call,  Mobile  App,  Email,  and  25  Digital  Display  Systems  (DDS) installed in Andhra Pradesh, including Machilipatnam and in collaboration with various Non-Governmental Organisations. A suite of equipments  such  as  Tide  Gauges,  High  Frequency  Coastal  Radar, Drifting  Buoys,  Moored  Buoys  and  Automatic  Doppler  Current  Profiler (ADCP) have been deployed off Machilipatnam and its surrounding areas for  improved  services  and  observations.  Indicative  maps  of  probable coastal flooding due to oceanogenic disasters that can cause coastal inundation  were  prepared  for  2181  sq.  km  of  coastal  area  of  Andhra Pradesh including Machilipatnam.

- (c) Estimated cost of the component for the entire country under O-SMART for three years (2017-2018, 2018-2019 & 2019-2020) is Rs. 274.11 crore which  is  ongoing.  The  national  project  on  Multi  Hazard  Vulnerability Mapping (MHVM) for the entire coast of the Indian mainland completed in March 2018 had the total budget of Rs. 43.66 crore.
- (d) Yes, Sir.  An Ocean Thermal Energy Convention (OTEC) based on Low Temperature  Thermal  Desalination  Plant  is  proposed  to  be  set  up  in Kavaratti,  Lakshadweep  Island  with  a  capacity  of  producing  1  Lakh Liter on drinking water per day and a site has been identified for setting up the plant.
- (e) No, Sir.
- (f) The required depth of about 400 meters for setting up Low Temperature Thermal Desalination Plant is not found in the vicinity of the coast of India including Andhra Pradesh.