S. V. Srikantia
Email: [email protected]
Considering that GSI has excellent mapping tradition and has covered large areas from Kanyakumari to Karakorum and the quality of work can rival the best in the world, it is frustrating to find that very few maps of these areas have been published. It is equally disheartening to workers who carried out mapping in these difficult and inhospitable terrain, for not seeing their maps in print.
During 1993 the Geological Society of India published comments from readers regarding non-availability and lack of publications of geological maps in India. The position has not improved much. The non-availability of geological maps continues to affect the dissemination of vital scientific information to earth scientists of India and the world and to user agencies of the country. As a field geologist with three decades of mapping experience, I feel the agony of not seeing these maps in print and the consequent denial of this information to fellow earth scientists.
In India, as in any part of the world, geological mapping is carried out on topographical maps of various scales like 1″ = 4 mile, 1″ = 1 mile. Or 1:25000, 1: 50,000 and 1: 2,50,000 scales. In all developed countries these topographical maps are sold in bookshops, tobacco shops, railway stations and other public outlets. However, in India the purchase of these maps calls for a detailed procedure. The Survey of India, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is the agency, which is responsible for publishing these topographical maps. It stocks and sells these toposheets after ascertaining whether they are restricted or not. The Survey of India (SOI) has stamped all the coastal sectors, the areas bordering the international boundary and the whole of J& K and northeast as Restricted. For obtaining these toposheets an elaborate procedure is adopted. Even for purchasing the non-restricted toposheets, one has to go to survey of India sales offices where sometimes only poorly photocopies are made available and generally maps are out of stock. This was the experience when the writer went to sales office in Chandigarh in July 1993.
This practice of restricting the toposheets, particularly in this age of satellite photography and remote sensing, seems to me illogical and meaningless. Why has this aspect not dawned on SOI and defense authorities? An ordinary Indian citizen does not know where the border of his country is located on the ground while all foreign tourists who come to India bring satellite imagery based maps which depict all details with greatest accuracy possible. Some of the imagery have as high a resolution as 7 metre and less where as the restricted toposheets convey much less information.
The study of topographical maps is essential for every citizen of the country. From tourist to scientist, everyone requires toposheets. These toposheets should be de-restricted, printed in large numbers on good quality paper and sold in all book and stationary shops. In tune with the liberalization spirit, the private map publishing companies may be allowed to print and market the toposheets.
The lack of easy availability of toposheets, particularly the restricted ones, has retarded the progress of ones, has retarded the progress of geological work in all Universities and allied organisations. Only scientists of government organisations can obtain these maps and only these organisations can hope to publish geological maps. Therefore, the first hurdle in the publication of geological maps is the non-availability of toposheets and also restricting the same for coastal and other border areas. This has to be removed forthwith and the spirit of liberalisation should be extended to the SOI and Defence authorities.
GSI brought out a Memoir Vol. LXXVII in 1948 which contained a catalogue of publications of the GSI and Index of Geological Maps covering the information upto March 1946. These maps were published as part of Memoirs and Records of GSI on scales of less than 4 miles = 1inch, on 4 miles = 1 inch, 8 miles = 1 inch, 16 miles = 1 inch, 32 miles and more = 1 inch. These geological maps were available along with the publications and in the case of maps which were not published, copies could be obtained from the Director, GSI, at the cost of the materials used and the labour of hand production. By 1946, for nearly 35% of the Indian Subcontinent published geological maps were available on 1inch = 32 miles and less, 15% of the area had 1 inch = 16 miles maps, about 10% of the area on 1 inch = 8 miles and 1 inch = 4 miles. Thus the overall picture of geological map publication was not encouraging at the time of Independence. One redeeming aspect of the maps available was that most of them were printed in colour with excellent reproduction even as early as 1934. Some of the important geological belts like those of Krol, Jammu-Kashmir, Spiti in the Himalaya and the Vindhyan, Aravalli-Delhi in the Peninsula were covered by coloured geological maps.
On the eve of independence, the stress was shifted to mineral investigations and there was not much of regional mapping activity and the situation continued for another decade after independence.
By late fifties to early sixties the regional mapping work was resumed and by the eighties, the entire country was covered by 1 inch = 1mile/ 1:50,000 scale mapping and in selected areas mapping on 1:25,000 scale commenced. In late seventies GSI initiated a programme of publishing geological maps on 1 inch = 4 miles scale and the progress in publication of these maps has been slow. Considering that geological mapping has been completed for the whole of India on 1. inch = 1 mile/1:.50,000 scale there are very few published geological maps; only 72 Quaidrangle maps have been printed (out of which 23 maps are Restricted) this against 358 Degree sheets for the whole country, a very distressing state of affairs.
Considering that GSI has excellent mapping tradition and has covered large areas from Kanyakumari to Karakorum and the quality of work can rival the best in the world, it is frustrating to find that very few maps of these areas have been published. It is equally disheartening to workers who carried out mapping in these difficult and inhospitable terrain, for not seeing their maps in print. Other fellow scientists including those within the organisation and outside are not having the benefit of the latest earth science information readily available in print. This naturally raises the question as to for what purpose the areas were mapped at such great effort and cost. Most of these geological maps gather dust in survey offices. Mapping programme is treated as a ritual with benefit to none.
Perhaps GSI employs the largest number of draftsmen among earth science organisations and has a hierarchy of supervisory officers. There is a Central Map Division and also Regional Map Divisions with local Circle Offices to assist in compilation. To cap it all GSI has a Map Printing Press located at Hyderabad with facilities to bring out coloured maps. Yet, the number of published geological maps is so few that one begins to feel that there is something seriously wrong with the system.
Today we are living in an age of rapid dissemination of information and technological advancement. It is sad that geological maps of areas covered 15 to 20 years ago have not seen the light of the day even now. The scientific community of the country has a right to demand why these maps are not published and information collected at enormous public expenditure is not made available.
India has geological belts which are of worldwide scientific importance; though these belts have been mapped with excellent details, they are gathering dust in the dark shelves of the organisation. Lack of publication of geological maps has put the organisation in an extremely poor light.
In my analysis the reasons for not publishing the regional geological map” are :
In a majority of cases mapping’ is not beltwise and very rarely as a project with a clear objective, as a result the geological map would be haphazard with multiplicity of names and classifications and several gaps in information; geological parties are rarely allowed to complete the mapping of the entire geological belt as a project; geologists in the parties are frequently changed not allowing them to consolidate the mapping work; publication of report and map is rarely made part of the programme of work and as a result compilation is rarely undertaken or completed; in the compilation of regional geological map the active field workers who are responsible for the map are rarely associated; and sometimes priorities change with the change of people at the helm.
The Geological Survey of Canada brings out preliminary map of the areas mapped on one inch to one mile scale showing geology, legend, index map, geological section with descriptive notes all in one sheet enclosed in a folder. There is need to adopt uniform format in publication, rationalisation of stratigraphic nomenclature, adoption of international colour schemes and symbols.
Even in the field of Regional Geological maps the country is lagging behind. GSI published the geological map of India (in 4 sheets) in 1964 on the occasion of the 22nd International Geological Congress held in New Delhi. So far no new edition of this map which is now thirty years old has been brought out on that scale. This is the case with the Tectonic and Metallogenic maps also. GSI has an excellent expertise in map production which has not been put to use. Only recently a new edition of Geological Map of India on 1:5 million scale has been released.
GSI has published 13 geological and mineral maps of States on 1:2.25 million scale which have become already outdated and need updating. Only the Geological map of Karnataka and Goa is on 1:500,000 scale; this also needs updating. Geological map of Aravalli region on 1:1million scale is published. The Geological map of Cuddapah basin on 1:2,50,000 scale (1981), though printed long back, has not been released for sale or circulation. Some publication activity is evident as maps of coal and lignite in India, Isotopic age map of Peninsular India, Geological map of the Himalaya in three parts, Geological map of coal-field areas, Seabed sediment maps of AndamanSea, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Mannar have been released. A Geological and Mineral Atlas of India on 1:1,000,000 scale has been brought out.
GSI has problems while undertaking publications of geological maps of the Himalaya, coastal and border areas as it requires clearance from the Defence authorities. Thus, publication of several geological maps have been held up. This aspect has been dealt with earlier and it is time to make all maps are derestricted and quickly published.
In India the first geological map was published in 1823 (A Geological sketch of Malwa and part of Adjoining Provinces by Capt. F. Dangerfield). Since then much water has flown in river Ganga. Let this debate on the need of early publication of all geological maps prompt the authorities in GSI, SOI and Defence to make the machinery to move fast and let the maps roll out of the press to the delight of all earth scientists.
As in the USA where the Congress has passed an Act which makes the USGS responsible for creating and distributing geologic information as a public good, the Indian Parliament should also adopt a bill by enunciating the role of GSI in the evaluation of the Nation’s lands, environment and resources. GSI alone should be the appropriate institution to produce and provide regional geologic information for the public good. The GSI has great potential which should be fully utilised.
Credit Line: This article has been reproduced from ‘Jour. Geol. Soc.’ India, vol. 46, July 1995, p1-4, with the prior permission of the author.
