A webinar on the “Issues and Challenges in Geological Sciences” was organized by the Department of Geology, NEHU in collaboration with Shillong Chapter, Indian Science Congress Association, Kolkata today.
Keynot speaker at the webinar Krishanu Nath, Senior Geologist, Geological Survey of India (North-East Region) stressed on the importance of resource management for the sustainable development of the society and to improve the economy of the nation.
He briefly introduced the various activities and issues which have great importance for building a strong nation and also emphasised on urban planning and sustainable development of cities to efficiently manage the natural resources of densely populated areas. He also emphasized on the role of geoscientists for engineering purposes, including construction of dams and tunnels in extremely difficult natural conditions such as mountainous regions of Jammu and Kashmir as well as in Meghalaya.
Prof. Devesh Walia, HOD, Geology Department, NEHU discussed the challenges for the upcoming and budding geologists, which are critical for growth and development of the region.
He discussed about 20 current challenges in the field of Geological Sciences, most importantly being climate change, targeting new mineral deposits, water resource management, renewable energy, CO2 capture and storage, harnessing the geothermal energy.
“The tectonics of the NE region has potential to destabilise the region by seismicity so there is a need to have concerted efforts for better understanding of the crustal configuration using various geophysical techniques. Meghalaya represents “Geology in a nutshell” and has almost all the metallogenic provinces and epochs that has great potential and mineral wealth which needs to be explored in the national interest,” he said. He inspired the young participants of the webinar to pursue their career in the field of Geological Sciences and contribute towards the nation building.
Prof. Arun Kumar, Department of Earth Sciences, Manipur University, Imphal and former General Secretary (Scientific Activities), Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), Kolkata, Prof. H. Lamin, Pro Vice-Chancellor, NEHU also spoke during the webinar.
