From finding coal to predicting landslides: Hyderabad based GSI turns 175

Hyderabad: One of the second oldest geological survey organisations in the world and the oldest in India, the Geological Survey of India, completed 175 years. Located in Hyderabad Bandlaguda, Nagole, this organisation came into the limelight for its role in predicting landslides in the country.

Project LEWS

Climate change brought about many heavy rainfalls and cloudbursts in India, making areas more prone to landslides. GSI has been mapping such landslide-prone areas for many years now. A state-of-the-art National Landslide Forecasting (NLFC) facility was developed at GSI, Kolkata, to predict landslides in the West Bengal region.

Later, the project Regional Landslide Early Warning Systems (LEWS) was created in all States and Union Territories to assess the strength of the rocks (moderate, weak, very weak) and detect their presence in various parts of the country. This was done to reduce landslide risks in India.

The project was implemented in landslide prone areas like Darjeeling in West Bengal and the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu where testing was carried out and models were developed.

Regular studies were carried out in these regions to understand the pattern of rainfall and its impact on soil, rock and geological systems.

Landslide in Wayanad

In the recent landslide in Wayanad, Kerala, the GSI preliminary report cited excessive rain as the trigger.

In 2015-16, GSI forecast bulletins of Wayanad identified areas of Chooralmala, Mundakkai, Vellaramala and Attamala as moderately susceptible to landslides. This was a part of the National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping program. They also identified the hilly areas surrounding these areas as susceptible to landslides.

GSI works closely with IMD

The forecasting of rain helps GSI map and identify areas that are susceptible to landslides. Hence, they work very closely with the weather department to understand the pattern of rainfall and its impact on the region.

Finding coal to nationwide mineral investigations

GSI is also carrying out investigations of different mineral deposits in different States.

SD Patbhaje, additional director general, GSI, said, “The initial role of GSI was in the discovery of coal for railways in 1851. From the discovery of coal to mineral resource exploration, GSI has come a long way. GSI is also adopting emerging technologies to address the present needs and challenges that are being faced in disaster management and early warning systems.”

Background

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) was established on March 4, 1851, by Sir Thomas Oldham, the doyen of Indian geology. It is the second oldest geological survey organisation in the world and the oldest in the country.

The idea of the Geological Survey of India was conceived in the year 1836 to identify coal resources for steamship navigation and railways in India.

Over the years, GSI has grown into a repository of geo-science information required in various fields in the country. It is also an organisation that geologists across the world are in awe of due to the mine of geo-scientific information it has gathered.

The two main functions of the organisation are to create and update national geo-scientific information and mineral resource assessment.

How does the organisation work?

Geologists carry out ground surveys, air-borne surveys, and marine surveys. There are studies carried out for minerals and identification of natural hazards. The seismotectonics branch identifies earthquake-prone zones in India.