The burgeoning urban agglomerations around the world, teeming with ever-increasing population, are facing serious environmental crisis, if not already on the brink of environmental disaster. Most of the urban centres in India are witnessing huge imbalance in respect to demand and supply of water resources. India being the second most populated country of the world has witnessed a huge migration of rural population to the urban areas in recent years-- thereby aggravating the problem of water scarcity. Moreover, a considerable part of our country suffers from draught every year. Land degradation due to natural causes like gullying / headward erosion and anthropogenic causes like deforestation also leads to depletion of water resources both in terms of quantity and quality. Pollution of land and surface water because of geogenic and anthropogenic activities is leading to serious health hazards in different parts of the country. In some places groundwater occurs in weathered residuum and fracture zones in the hard rock and is thus of limited nature. Problem of seawater incursion is rampant throughout the long coast line of India. In this scenario it becomes imperative to collect, collate and synthesize various field and laboratory data regarding water resource potential that can be used for sustainable developmental activities throughout the country. GSI has embarked on the geo-environmental appraisal of major urban centres since 1996, and have generated huge baseline data on geology, geo-morphology, geo-hydrology, geo-technical, ambient air, noise and bacteriology required for perspective planning for sustainable development of urban areas. Study of geology of water resources by GSI essentially comprises the following:
Geological and geomorphological characterisation of major water bodies in different landscape units using multispectral imagery
Characterisation of all water bodies in different physical environments incorporating geological, geomorphological, hydrological, degree of aquatic vegetation, qualitative turbidity rating and other spatio-temporal criteria
Establishing spatial association between the evolved water bodies/marshes and morphological units / forms developed in different geological formations as well as pattern of seasonal changes in water spread areas using temporal imagery of recent times.
An inventory of water bodies and their form associations in respect of each district
Study responses of lakes and dune systems in Holocene to establish the record of climatic change from depositional sequences and to utilize this data for forward modelling of landscape changes (i.e. topography, vegetation, soil and water resources) especially in hot semi-arid and arid regions which have distinctive geomorphic and geologic settings
Delineating favourable groundwater recharge zones and potential ground water resources (palaeochannels) for development of future urban industrial centres. These areas will face pressure on natural resources, particularly water. Any future development will be dependent on ground water availability and the ground water recharge is quite essential in such areas. Routine analysis of dissolved constituents including metals in ground water is done to know the extent of natural and anthropogenic pollution.
Study of quaternary landforms and sections for neotectonic imprints. The neotectonic setting can indicate potential areas for soil erosion and deforestation
Undertake morphometric analysis of drainage network in the upper and middle catchment areas of river basins as part of watershed management studies
Evaluate the water resources and proper utilization of surface run off towards mitigation of the drought hazard. Study of toxic elements like Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Cr in surface and ground water to determine the toxicity level, its causative factors and methods for reducing the toxicity. Analysis of water samples for various uses like drinking/irrigation/domestic, analysis of major radicals like Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, CO3, SO4, SiO2 to determine the chemical type of water and the suitability as per the ISI standard
Soil sampling , Collection of meteorological data, biogeochemistry
Study of health hazards caused by ground water contamination
Creation of multithematic digital database for land-water resources. Preparation of detailed maps on themes like geology, geomorphology, geohydrology, hydrogeomorphology, landuse-landcover etc
Glaciological Studies
W. Theobold initiated Glaciological studies in 1874 while surveying in North West Himalayas. Thereafter, not much work was carried out by GSI during pre-independence days. In 1974, Glaciology division was created to conduct systematic study of the glaciers. This division is located at the Northern Region headquarters at Lucknow
Objective of Glaciological studies in GSI:
To prepare an inventory of Himalayan glacier as per the code of nomenclatures laid down by the World Inventory of Glaciers programme of UNESCO
Glacial geomorphology
Mass balance study
Rate & vector of glacier movement
Nature of sediment transport by glaciers
Meteorological observations
Formulating methodology for developing a prediction model for snow-melt
GSI has generated data on glacier mass balance, flow hydrometry and secular movement of the Himalayan Glacier since 1978. It has also carried out recession studies of 30 glaciers and observed that almost all glaciers are passing through a phase of recession.
GSI has been making major contribution to secular movement studies in selected glaciers in Pindar and Vishnuganga basins of Uttaranchal, and snout monitoring studies etc. have highlighted the area vacated by retreat of glaciers during the last 43 years
GSI Special Publication No. 34 on Inventory of Himalayan Glaciers was published in 1999. This is an attempt by the Geological Survey of India to document the first hand data on the glaciers of Indian Himalaya. This documentation of Himalayan glaciers can be utilized fruitfully by scientists and engineers alike and can serve as a Glacier Atlas for the Himalaya
A new phase of glaciological research has started in GSI which specifically addresses the imminent future need of water resource management and hazard mitigation
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