Hyderabad: GSI Day celebrated in Bandlaguda

Bandlaguda: On the occasion of 170 foundation day Geological Survey of India, GSI Southern Region (GSI SR) and GSI Training Institute jointly celebrated the day at Geological Survey of India Training Institute at Bandlaguda on Wednesday.

It was celebrated through a day-long curriculum which included exhibition of geological exhibits for the students of geoscience as well as from other branches of study felicitation of its retired employees and cultural programme.

Geological Survey of India, the premier geoscience organisation in the country, was founded on March 4, 1851 by Sir Thomas Oldham. GSI SR operates in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and union territory of Puducherry, and has its offices located at Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore and Vishakhapatnam. GSI, SR has a strength of 871 employees out of which 405 Geologists, 56 Geophysicists, 65 Chemists 2 mineralogists are actively engaged in various geoscientific surveys and investigations.

During the year 2019-20, GSI SR is implementing 62 programme across all the states encompassing baseline geoscience data generation, mineral exploration, geoinformatics and public good geosciences. A total of 5600 sq km of geological mapping, 20,123 sq km of Geochemical mapping, 14,400 sq km for Geophysical mapping and 81 mineral investigations programmes are envisaged to be carried out in this period.

Some of the geotechnical investigations were taken up in State Units of Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Some of the noteworthy projects where GSI rendered its services are Kaleshwaram Project, Palamuru Ranga Reddy Project, Devadula Project, Polavaram Project and

Kollimallai Hydroelectric Project. These projects are expected to benefit irrigating agricultural lands for about 70 lakh acres and power generation to the tune of 200 MW.