GSI SURVEY

1. Context

While everyone is familiar with the grid reference point NJ 9842 as it is the last mutually demarcated point between India and Pakistan as per the Karachi ceasefire agreement of 1949 and also the point where the Line of Control of the Simla Agreement ends, not many people are familiar with what 5Q 131 05 084 stands for. This is the number assigned to the Siachen glacier by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). June-August 2023 marks the sapphire jubilee of a very important event in the history of the exploration of the Siachen glacier.

2. Geological Survey of India

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) conducts a variety of surveys, including ground surveys, air-borne and marine surveys, mineral prospecting and investigations, multi-disciplinary geoscientific, geo-technical, geo-environmental and natural hazards studies, glaciology, seismotectonic study, and carrying out fundamental research.
The GSI survey is a critical part of the agency's mission to create and updation of national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment.
The data collected through these surveys is used to map the geological resources of India, identify potential mineral deposits, and assess the risks of natural hazards.

3. The GSI survey is carried out using a variety of methods, including:

Ground surveys: These surveys involve the collection of data on the ground, such as rock samples, soil samples, and water samples.
Air-borne surveys: These surveys use aircraft to collect data, such as magnetic data, gravity data, and altimetry data.
Marine surveys: These surveys use ships to collect data, such as bathymetric data, seismic data, and oceanographic data.

4. The data collected through the GSI survey is used to create a variety of products, including:

Maps: The GSI produces a variety of maps, including geological maps, mineral maps, and hazard maps.
Reports: The GSI publishes a variety of reports, which provide detailed information on the geology of India, the mineral resources of India, and the risks of natural hazards.
Databases: The GSI maintains a variety of databases, which store information on the geology of India, the mineral resources of India, and the risks of natural hazards.

The GSI survey is an essential part of the agency's mission to create and updation of national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment. The data collected through these surveys is used to map the geological resources of India, identify potential mineral deposits, and assess the risks of natural hazards. This information is essential for planning and development, and for ensuring the safety of the Indian people.

5. First Siachen Survey

June 1958: V.K. Raina, an Indian geologist, leads the first GSI Survey of the Siachen glacier.
Mr. Raina had previously studied the Nubra Valley and worked on the proposed Leh-Manali Highway.
The International Geophysical Year was celebrated in 1958, and the GSI planned a study of Himalayan glaciers.
Mr. Raina and his team were responsible for surveying five glaciers, including Siachen, Mamostong, Chong Kumdan, Kichik Kumdan, and Aktash.
They reached Siachen after a journey from Calcutta to Pathankot, Srinagar, and Leh.
They spent three months camping at the base of the glacier, conducting various studies.
The snout of the Siachen glacier was difficult to access, but a few kilometers upstream, it showed a clear white stream flowing into the mountains.
In August/October 1958, two ice caves were observed on the Siachen glacier, with the Nubra River flowing out from the northern ice cave.
A large-scale map of the snout region was prepared using a plane table and telescopic alidade.
Cairn marks were erected and painted to fix the position of the glacier front, ice caves, and reference stations.
Five photographic stations were established for future comparison and correlation.
Red paint and stone cairns marked these stations.

Image Source: The Hindu

6. Lack of Pakistani Interest in Indian Presence on Siachen Glacier during GSI Survey (1958)

No mountaineering expeditions or visitors crossed Mr. Raina's team during the three-month survey.
The survey was the first official Indian survey of the Siachen glacier by the GSI and was well-publicized within academic and international scientific communities.
There were no protests or contemporaneous documents from Pakistan regarding the Indian presence on the Siachen glacier during that time.
Possible reasons for Pakistan's lack of interest:
1. Adherence to the terms of the Karachi ceasefire agreement of 1949, which clearly delimited the ceasefire line up to the glaciers.
2. The region beyond NJ 9842 was pending mutual demarcation, but it was evident that it would fall on the Indian side based on the agreed line proceeding north.
3. Explorations and scientific visits were not seen as posing a threat or suggesting a physical occupation, so they were not given much importance.

7. Significance of the GSI Expedition and Pakistan's Silence on Siachen Glacier (1958)

Pakistan's reliance on incorrect maps and permissions sought by explorers to support its claim to Siachen is well-known.
Pakistan's complete silence on the first GSI expedition to the glacier in 1958 is surprising but not unexpected.
Acknowledging the presence of Indian scientists on the glacier for over three months would have established Pakistan's absence from the region.
The GSI expedition holds historical and geostrategic significance, debunking myths of Pakistan's presence or control of the glacier since the beginning.
Pakistan formally staked its claim to the region 25 years later, extending the Line of Control in violation of the Karachi ceasefire agreement.
India, alarmed by Pakistan's actions, pre-empted and occupied the strategic Saltoro Heights on April 13, 1984.

For Prelims: Geological Survey of India (GSI), Siachen Glacier, International Geophysical Year, Karachi ceasefire agreement of 1949, and Nubra River.

For Mains: 1. Explain the significance and contributions of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in shaping India's geology and natural resource exploration. (250 words).

Previous year Question

1. Siachen Glacier is situated to the (UPSC 2020)

A. East of Aksai Chin

B. East of Leh

C. North of Gilgit

D. North of Nubra Valley

Answer: D

Source: The Hindu

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