Although the primary aim lies along advancing development premised on the principles of sustainable development, where any proposed mining along and within seabed could potentially pose severe and/or irreversible damage to ecosystem in question even with mitigation measures in place such application cannot be granted or approved.
The provisions of section 48 of the MPDRA which list out area over which prospecting or mining is prohibited. If the area constitutes such an area as per the assessment made, the Minister can invoke the provisions of section 49 of the MPRDA and restrict or prohibit mining over such relevant seabed.