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Bengal

GSI sets targets for geochemical, geophysical mapping

Kolkata: Laying special emphasis on mineral exploration, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has set a target of 2018-19 for completion of geochemical mapping and 2021 for geophysical mapping.

"GSI has taken a quantum jump in mineral exploration. Our priority has been to give more and more auctionable blocks to the Central and state governments," GSI's director general Dinesh Gupta said on Thursday in a Press conference.

The GSI has presently set a target of handing over 41 such auctionable blocks, among which 12 have already been auctioned. The GSI hopes that these auctions will have a revenue generation of Rs 26,000 crore for the different state governments.

According to a senior GSI official, they have already finished Geological mapping with a coverage of 99.35 percent. "We are now carrying out geochemical and geophysical mapping of the country. The area is very big and hence, it is time consuming. However, we have prioritised the OGP (obvious geological potential) area of 0.571 million sq km," the official said.

It may be mentioned that GSI has covered 9.3 lakh sq km area by geochemical mapping till March 2018. GSI is also carrying out national landslide zonation mapping in all the landslide affected states.

"Many landslides are happening throughout the country. We are preparing the systemetic mapping of different landslide vulnerable zones of different states. Already, 60 percent of work is over and we will shortly prepare the map for the entire area. In that, we identify which areas are more susceptible to landslide. We are also installing advance warning systems," Gupta said.

GSI is collaborating with British Geological Survey and Natural Resource Canada for the landslide mapping.

"1.71 lakh sq km area out of 4.28 lakh sq km has already been covered and the remaining area under this programme would be covered by 2020," he added.

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