Huge Himalayan geo-resources are yet to be fully explored in the country, says Union Minister Jitendra Singh. These unexplored resources can in many ways contribute to the socio-economic development of the Himalayan region and the country as a whole.
One of India’s greatest strengths is its geography. It is abundant in natural resources, flora, and fauna and can be utilized for the country’s interest. Among the unexplored resources are the great Himalayan glaciers and snowfields which feed billions of people through irrigation, industry, hydropower generation, & more.
What are Geo-resources?
Geo-resources refer to all geological resources that are vital for life in modern-day society, including groundwater, mineral resources, energy production, and underground space for construction, storage, and disposal of materials.
Geo-resources are also needed to make sustainable energy sources. For instance, rare earth metals are used for solar cells, wind turbines, electric motors, mobile phones, and more.
India’s Efforts
The Government of India is working to find scientific inventions and technological breakthroughs. Himalaya based on Geoscientific investigation is also in progress for the understanding geodynamic evolution of Himalaya; scientific explanation of geo-hazards caused by earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, flash floods, etc.
The study can help in the assessment, management, and mitigation of geo-hazards and also in the exploration of geo-resources such as geothermal, minerals, ore bodies, hydrocarbons, springs, riverine systems, etc.
In recent times, the government is also exploring other resources including the riverine, etc in the Himalayan regions. Union Minister Jitendra Singh had also mentioned exploring the coldwater fisheries and aquaculture which have a huge scope of expansion in India.
The Government of India has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of geology and mineral resources between the Geological Survey of India and the Geological Survey of Finland. The MoU facilitates cooperation in the field of geology, training, mineral prognostication and suitability analysis, 3/4D modeling, Seismic and other Geophysical surveys finalized with the intent of reinforcing and strengthening scientific links between the two Organisations.
Benefits?
Studying the glacial dynamics and the climate-tectonic interaction would help in understanding the present climate change scenario. Furthermore, geosciences can play a pivotal role in the growth of several sectors in the country such as energy security, water security, industrial expansion, management and mitigation of geo-hazards, climate change impact on ecology and biodiversity, conservation of the environment, etc.
Energy Creation:
Around 40 geothermal springs each have been identified in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and efforts are in progress to generate electricity. If successful, this will be expanded to all geothermal fields for space heating and conversion into electrical energy without any carbon footprint.
Job Creation:
Further, the geo-resources have the potential to create local jobs for migrants, attract tourists, establish small-scale businesses like building a hot-water swimming pool, and extract medicinal ingredients from spring water.
According to the Union Minister, Spring-water rejuvenation and river-water regeneration can contribute to the human settlement and agro-economy of our country. Further, the exploitation of available and abundant mineral resources in a scientific manner is another domain of socio-economic development.
