Panaji: India has staked its claim over
additional exclusive economic zone in Arabian sea and Bay of
Bengal which would be used to explore the resources beneath
them, Union Minister Prithviraj Chavan said today.
Addressing media-persons here, Union Minister for Science
and Technology Chavan said India has put its claim with the UN
for 0.6 million square kilometres of additional exclusive
economic zones in West and East coasts.
The location on West coast is almost 200 nautical miles
off Mumbai`s shore, said Chavan, who is in the state to visit
National Antarctic and Ocean Research Centre (NAORC) and
National Institute of Oceanography, two of India`s premier
research laboratories.
"The exclusive economic zone areas are available
depending on the landmass. If you have 3.3 million square
kilometres of land mass, then you are entitled for equal land
in the sea basin," he said.
The Minister said sediments washed from the river and
piled up in the sea basin create rich mineral resource, which
is the future energy source.
India will chart out its additional exclusive economic
zone based on the sediments washed from Indus river in the
Arabian sea and Ganga in Bay of Bengal, he said.
Chavan said the UN will have to take call on India`s
claim for additional exclusive economic zone.
-PTI
