The Ministry of Earth Sciences, (MoES) will set up an Ocean thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) power plant at a cost of `100 crore in Lakshadweep in Kaviratti island. The project which will be commissioned in 2017 was announced at the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) Platinum Jubilee Foundation day celebrations held at CSIR on Wednesday. “The power plant will use ocean water to generate 175 KW and will begin operations in 2017. The plant will also act as a desalination plant,” said Dr Madhavan Nair Rajeevan, secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences,. He was delivering the Foundation Day lecture on ‘Science of Climate Change: New Initiatives’ at the CSIR-NGRI. “The mandate of MoES is to provide knowledge and technology enterprise in the earth system science for public safety and socio-economic benefits,” Rajeevan said. The MoES has fast track projects like Agro-meteorological services, customized forecasts for tourism and pilgrimage, energy from oceans, prediction of marine coastal pollution, in tune with MoES Vision 2030, he said. Speaking on climate change, he said “There has been an alarming increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases globally, since 1950s due to human activity and industrial revolution, which has resulted in increase in surface air temperatures leading to global warming, impacting the food security and public health all over the world.” In the Indian context, he presented increasing trends of surface air temperatures, similar to the global warming trend, as indicated by 100 years of climatological data records. The western and central parts of Northern India are experiencing consistent increase in heat waves, he added. “The average monsoon rainfall over the country has remained stable over the last century. However, there are variations in regional trends that are observed on the local scale,” Rajeevan said.