Director General of Geological Survey of India (GSI), Asit Saha today said that goals like Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat are prodding citizens of the country to utilise more and more natural resources.
“Are we going to plunder these resources or are we to take a pause and think, are we doing the right thing or are we doing it in the right way? Can we have a balance,” Saha said in a keynote address at the National Conference on Advances in Geosciences, held in the city.
He also said that probably the northeast is the only place in the country still preserving its pristine environment. “The community here is very much aware (of its environment),” the GSI, Director General said.
He said that in the recent past when he visited the Arwah and the Mawmluh cave he was pleased to see that the community is engaged in preserving these geological marvels.
Saha said that the stakeholders were sensitive, proud and responsible in understanding the need for preservation and conservation of the environment.
He said that the GSI has installed early warning systems for landslides and in the next 4-5 years the institution has chalked out a programme wherein it will be able to issue proper landslide warning through the system it has developed and the northeastern states will be part of the process.
Saha said that the GSI is in search of critical minerals because it is worried of global warming and the kind of energy being used now that is polluting the environment. “We want clean energy minerals and natural resources which will not further pollute our environment,” he added.
The national conference on New Insights and Sustainable Solutions for Safe Living in Mountainous Regions (AG-ISM 2025) was to commemorate GSI’s 175th anniversary, will conclude on Wednesday.
The event will feature discussions on responsible extraction and conservation of natural resources such as minerals, water, and energy, panels addressing early warning systems, disaster risk reduction, and geoengineering solutions, sessions on the applications of remote sensing, GIS, and geospatial technologies in geosciences.
There will also be special field visit to key geological sites in Meghalaya on April 10, dedicated sessions for young geoscientists to present cutting edge research and innovations, display of GSI’s remarkable achievements over the last 175 years, showcasing its contributions to geosciences, mineral exploration, and hazard mitigation.
