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The Geological Survey of India (GSI) a premier scientific organization was established in the year 1851 with a view to assist the Indian Railways in exploring coal mines to meet its fuel requirements. Since then GSI has traversed through 153 years of its existence. It has expanded from merely providing the primary geo-scientific information to expose mineral fuels and water resources, in managing natural resources and spearheading the cause of the environment protection.
Now a subordinate organization of the Union Ministry of Mines, the GSI has its headquarters in Kolkata, with Six regions and three specialized Wings and a Training Institute at Hyderabad . The six regions are: Northern Region (Head office at Lucknow), Western Region (Jaipur), Eastern Region ( Kolkata), North -East Region (Shillong), Central Region (Nagpur) and Southern Region (Hyderabad).
The GSI boasts of a vast pool of experienced scientists along with a potent technical manpower at her service that has successfully created a reliable repository of earth science data base that has invaluably contributed in developing infrastructure and industries in India. The GSI’s activities extend from the Northern Himalayan borders to the icy continent of Antarctica beyond the Indian Ocean; from the desert to the offshore region and even to the sky. In fact it is the GSI, which has taken the systematic geological mapping of this region for the first time and since then has been continuously refining it to suit the demands of the evolving technology and needs.
The GSI prepares and updates the geological, geophysical and geo-chemical maps of the country together with its offshore areas. It explores and assesses the mineral and energy resources of the country and her offshore areas. It also systematically explores the shallow subsurface domain of the country, develops, maintains the national drill core libraries and documentation centers. It conducts research in earth sciences for effective management of the earth system and its resources. With understanding of the geological knowledge the GSI reduces risk to life and property from geological hazards and addresses the societal issues to enhance the quality of life. It acts as the national repository of earth science data generated by various organizations and disseminates the same for development of educational and societal needs. The GSI holds, protects and maintains collections of rare and representative geological material as national geological monuments, museums and parks.
Monitoring Nature’s Fury
The GSI made a landmark achievement in 2004 having been declared as the “nodal agency” on landslide studies by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The timely recommendation of GSI for immediate vacation of population made from the study of Varunavat Parbat Landslide at Uttarkashi (Uttaranchal) saved the lives of local residents. GSI scientists’ active participation in the monitoring of the Parechu Lake created as a result of landslides forewarned against the possible damages likely to be caused by the lake.
The year 2004 saw GSI take up 25 geo-environmental investigations comprising geo-environmental appraisal, geo-environmental impact assessment and studies on natural hazards along with geomorphic processes covering public health and landslide issues in addition to 12 items of Syn-Exploration Baseline Data Generation. Further GSI undertook study of Fluorosis endemicity in parts of Jhansi and Sonbhadra districts of Uttar Pradesh and assessed Arsenic incidence in the Bhojpur district of Bihar. Detailed glaciological studies on Hamta Glacier in Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh have been carried out to moniter the maximum and minimum ablation. Glacier inventory of Thatte, Saltoro , Sumdo, Fasten Nubra and Rangdo basins of Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir have identified 108 glaciers in Saltoro basin,366 glaciers in Sumdo basin and 82 glaciers in Fasten basin. It found that the total glacierised areas are 40.5 per cent in Saltoro , 14.02 per cent in Fasten and 6.89 per cent in Sumdo basins.
GSI succeeded in updating the All India Earthquake Database up to the year 2001 incorporating 1,347 events . A total of 17,483 events have been registered so far in the database. Other than this, 43 items of Geo-technical and engineering geological projects were undertaken for water resource management /development/ creation of communication network, transport and other infrastructure facilities. The year 2004 also saw GSI sign a MoU with IMD for integration of seismological observatories in India under national seismological network and collaboration in the field of seismology and earthquake geology.It also carried out seismic microzonation studies in Siliguri (West Bengal), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Mumbai area (Maharashtra) and in Dehradun urban complex (Uttaranchal) and Vezag (Andhra Pradesh).
The GSI has made forays at international level. It has undertaken geological investigation in mining areas along Indo-Bhutan border to assess the quality of water system in Dolomite mining area and adjoining tea gardens of North Bengal. In the year 2002, GSI successfully organized the 4th South Asia Geological Congress in New Delhi.
Tsunami Under Watch
The teams of GSI scientists had recently conducted multifarious geo-scientific studies on the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and Tsunami of 26 December 2004 and carried out detailed studies in the Andaman Group of islands. The GSI recorded nearly 6,500 aftershocks, which show a trend of continuous release of stress energy. Other teams of Geoscientists carried out studies on the effects of Tsunami on costal tract of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They studied submarine geo-morphological changes in the sea around Andaman Nicobar islands. GSI attended an international conference on Tsunami at Phuket (Thailand) held from 28-31 January,2005. The Geological Survey of Japan has approached GSI for a collaborative project to study the details of Tsunami in Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Vision 2005
GSI cannot rest on its laurels. It has already set goals for the coming years. In the field of Specialized Thematic Mapping, GSI has selected 0.25 millions sq. km (6.7 per cent of the country), for mapping which comprises regions in high priority geologically significant belts. The Geo-chemical survey is to prepare a first level regional geo-chemical map of the entire country. This will serve to prognosticate the latent mineral deposits and also help in assessing soil fertility and bring into light human and animal health hazards. GSI would also target search areas for detailed exploration and define areas susceptible to environmental degradation. It will carry out low altitude aero-geophysical data and also integrate multidisciplinary data for generation of mineral favourability map. GSI would complete systematic mapping of the seabed within territorial waters by 2015. With the availability of a new blue water research vessel in place of the old Samudra Manthan, mapping of the seabed and evaluation of mineral resources would be extended to Legal Continental Shelf area.
The activities to establish GSI as the temple of excellence are ever expanding. GSI is eager to contribute its mite in the development of the nation by providing invaluable data in numerous earth science fields. Thus GSI is instrumental in sustaining life-support system for over 16 per cent of global population in a meager 2.4 per cent of the world’s land area. The GSI is relentlessly pursuing its objectives to cater to the requirement of minerals and raw materials for industrial growth apart from ensuring a safe community life to the citizens free from the vagaries of natural hazards.
*Information Officer, PIB, Dehradun
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