Handique inaugurates Central Geological Programming Board meeting

New Delhi, Sep 11(ANI): Union Mines Minister B. K. Handique on Friday inaugurated the 45th Meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) and exhibition in the national capital.

The exhibition depicts countrywide activities of Geological Survey of India (GSI), its publications, maps, portals and societal contribution.

While delivering the inaugural speech on the occasion, Handique said that the GSI is one of the oldest scientific surveys of the world and has a glorious past and hoped that it would preserve its identity in the national and international arena.

Handique also said that to keep it relevant to the changes in the modern society, it is necessary that the GSI equips itself to deliver the needs of the country.

He said that to help sustain the GSI the Government has constituted a committee to make appropriate recommendations.

Handique further said that new technology both for exploration and mining have to be introduced.

"I understand that hyperspectral remote sensing is one of the latest tools to be used to demarcate areas of mineralization on the ground based on identical alteration characteristics," Handique said.

"GSI has entered into collaboration with the Indian Space Agency to initiate ground checking of certain mineral belts through hyperspectral data available with ISRO," he added. (ANI)