Lok Sabha Question No. 240 (STARRED), answered on 2016-03-14
Subject: Aerial Survey for Minerals
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: NINONG ERING

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.240 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 14 TH  MARCH, 2016

## AERIAL SURVEY FOR MINERALS

## *240 SHRI NINONG ERING:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  any  aerial  surveys  have  been  conducted  to  ascertain  mineral  wealth  in  the country and if so, the details and outcome thereof;
- (b)  whether such aerial surveys are sufficient in view of large scale demand for minerals in the country and if not, the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c)  the  targets  and  achievements  under  the  12th  Five  Year  Plan  for  various  projects undertaken for Aerial Survey in the country including multi-sensor survey and heliborne survey during each of the last three years and the current year, project-wise;
- (d)  the steps taken to achieve the targets for such projects on time; and
- (e)  the allocation and utilisation of funds for various surveys during the said period?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF MINES AND STEEL (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (e) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.240 REGARDING AERIAL SURVEY FOR MINERALS ASKED BY SHRI NINONG ERING FOR ANSWER ON 14 TH  MARCH 2016

(a):  Yes,  Madam.  Geological  Survey  of  India  (GSI)  is  engaged  in  multi-sensor  airborne geophysical survey activity since 1965 for exploration of mineral resources in the country. Under  different  projects,  22,36,081  sq.km  area  of  India  has  been  covered  by  airborne geophysical surveys by GSI, National Remote Sensing Agency and National Geophysical Research Institute till December 2015.

The  data  acquired  through  aerial  survey  has  been  instrumental  in  establishing basemetal resources in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh; radioactive anomaly zones in  Andhra  Pradesh;  Kimberlite  Clan  Rock  (KCR)  bodies  (source  rock  for  diamond)  in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh; groundwater prospect in  Karnataka  by  GSI.  Moreover,  the  data  is  of  immense  help  in  refining  the  existing geological maps, delineating structures and unraveling concealed geology.

The  Council  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research-National  Geophysical  Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) has been carrying out sponsored airborne geophysical survey activity for  various  agencies  such  as  National  Mineral  Development  Corporation,  a  Public  Sector Undertaking  under  Ministry  of  Steel,  connected  with  diamond  exploration  and  Atomic Minerals Directorate for  Exploration  and  Research  (AMDER) under Department of Atomic Energy  (DAE),  for  uranium  explorations  during  2000  to  2016.  Currently,  CSIR-NGRI  is carrying out sponsored heliborne multi-parametric geophysical work for AMDER connected with uranium exploration.

- (b): In view of large scale demands for minerals in the country, there is a need to augment exploration  through  aero-geophysical  surveys  in  areas  which  indicate  potential.  GSI  is carrying  out  aerial  surveys  as  per  available  resources  and  manpower.  In  addition,  GSI  is undertaking  ground  geological,  geophysical  and  geo-chemical  surveys  for  generation  of baseline  geoscience  data  and  taking  up  various  programmes  for  regional  and  detailed mineral exploration.
- (c) to (e):  The details of targets and achievements under the XII five year plan for various projects undertaken by GSI for aerial survey in the country including multi-sensor survey and heliborne  survey  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  and  current-year  project  wise  are  as follows:

## Surveys by multi-sensor airborne survey:

|   Sl. No. | Year      | Area                                                  | Target                            | Achievement                                                                                                            |
|-----------|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | 2012-2013 | West-Coast (Vengurla- Jamnagar)                       | 40665 line km (Area 101662 km 2 ) | Nil Surveys could not be carried out as the Avionics for Twin Otter Airborne Survey System (TOASS) was being upgraded. |
|         2 | 2013-2014 | Daman - Jamnagar (Western Continental Shelf of India) | 28000 line km (Area 70,000 km 2 ) | 35,568 line km (Area 88,920 km 2 )                                                                                     |
|         3 | 2013-2014 | Chandrapur- Brahmapuri area, Maharashtra              | 14791 line km (Area 7396 km 2 )   | 15420 line km (Area 7710 km 2 )                                                                                        |

|   4. | 2014-2015   | Alwar-Neem ka Thana, Rajasthan; Haryana and UP   | 51833 line km (Area 25916 km 2 )    | Nil Surveys could not be carried out as the agency for comprehensive operation and maintenance of TOASS on turnkey basis for 3 years was finalized during May 2015, and surveys could commence from November 2015   |
|------|-------------|--------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    5 | 2015-2016   | Ratnagiri-Mumbai area, West Coast                | 10,735 line km ( Area 26,838 km 2 ) | 10,138 line km (Area 25345 km 2 )                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|    6 | 2015-2016   | Marwar-Khetri block, Rajasthan; Haryana          | 49,265 line km (Area 24,633 km 2 )  | 30,986 line km (Area 15493 km 2 ) till Feb. 2016, Surveys still in progress                                                                                                                                         |

## Surveys by Heliborne Geophysical Survey System (HGSS):

The  HGSS  was  commissioned  in  the  year  2014.  Various  equipments  have  been  fitted onboard and the surveys will commence during the month of March, 2016. A target of 4381 line kms (6572 sq. kms) has been fixed for the year 2015-16.

GSI achieves its targets through timely preparation of pre-flight logistics like flight path plan, preliminary investigation of the proposed area, renewal of the required software licenses for processing of the software etc. GSI follows its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the survey.

The expenditure of GSI under Survey & Mapping Scheme including expenditure for aerial surveys, during the XII Plan period is as below:

## (in Rs. crores)

| SCHEME           | XII Plan Grant   | 2012-13   | 2012-13   | 2012-13   | 2013-14   | 2013-14   | 2013-14   | 2014-15   | 2014-15   | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2015-16   | 2015-16   |
|------------------|------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| SCHEME           | XII Plan Grant   | BE        | FE        | AE        | BE        | RE        | AE        | BE        | RE        | AE        | BE        | RE        | AE*       |
| Survey & Mapping | 545.29           | 48.04     | 49.76     | 49.50     | 71.83     | 71.83     | 71.66     | 165.84    | 129.90    | 129.39    | 156.22    | 111.31    | 109.14    |

BE- Budget Estimate; FE- Final Estimate; RE- Revised Estimate; AE - Actual Expenditure * Till February 2016