BANGALORE: India and Russia have set up a mission for prospecting of gas hydrates along the eastern and western coasts. The decision was taken at the meeting of the India Russian joint council on the Integrated Long Term Program (ILTP) in science and technology that concluded here Thursday. It formalizes a year old arrangement between the two countries for technical know-how from Russia to extract gas from the depths of the ocean near Kolkata, Goa and Kochi. "We need to send robots and sensors to localize the high concentration of gas that is estimated at a few million tones. We have prospecting jointly for a year. The setting up of the mission only formalizes the arrangement," council co-chairman C.N.R. Rao told reporters. "It sits like ice in the ocean and the minute it comes above sea level, it becomes gas. The effort could get translated in a decade or so into a utility. Maybe some day India can be on its own so far as its energy needs are concerned," Rao added. "At the moment, gas hydrates is a hot issue, particularly in Japan," F.A.Kuznetsov, who headed the Russian delegation, said. The ILTP was set up in 1987 and meets every 18 months, alternatively in India and Russia. It aims to provide scientist to scientist and institution to institution cooperation in 11 thrust areas on the frontiers of science and technology. Over 200 projects have been completed and another 140 are under implementation. The collaborative effort extends to bio medical products like "a sensor that identifies a cancer or brain tumor. It is being developed in Thiruvanthapuram," Rao said. The joint vaccine development project, which provides polio vaccine would now be extended to cover hepatitis B and rabies, among others. The other thrust areas are materials science and technology, laser science and technology, catalysis, accelerators and their applications, hydrology, computers and electronics, biomedical science and technology, and seven select areas of basic research in mathematics, applied mechanics, earth sciences, physics and astrophysics, ecology and environmental protection, chemical sciences and life sciences.
Source: IANS