MY REMINISCENCES AS A FIELD-GEOLOGIST - Final Book - 231216 - 045358

SRINIVASA RAO KONERU
My Reminiscences as a
Field-Geologist
Srinivasa Rao Koneru
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NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF INDIA
2023
My Reminiscences
As a Field-Geologist
Dy Director General (Retd), Geological Survey of India

2023
My Reminiscences as a Field-Geologist
Published by the
Natural History Society of India

Flat No. 201, Aliens Valley Alps,
Diamond Heights Layout Plot No - D. H. 87 & 88,
Near Aparna Sarovar, Gopannapalli, Hyderabad – 500046
Cover page drawings by

M. P. Muraleedharan Front Cover: Geologist in the field
Dy. Director General (Retd.) Back Cover: Geologist’s field-camp
Geological Survey of India
Pages : 64
Year : 2023
ISBN : 978-81-966585-4-0
Popular Science Series No.: 4
Printed at: Dharani Printers

NHSI PRESIDENT’S NOTE
The Natural History Society of India (NHSI), established in

2012 by a small group of Nature Lovers in Hyderabad, is firmly
committed to promoting the development of Life Sciences and
Natural Sciences, including Earth Sciences, besides inculcating
interest in the public, particularly the school children, in these
sciences. In tune with this commitment, the NHSI has since
been engaged in bringing out popular scientific publications and
videos, besides organizing workshops, field trips and mobile
science exhibitions. The publications released so far by NHSI
in this regard include Landforms of India, The World Ignored,
and The Story of Dinosaurs, which are acclaimed as landmark
publications.
Determined to carry forward our avowed commitment, we

have decided to foray this time into a new branch of science,
namely Geology (Earth sciences), which plays an important role
in discovering new mineral resources for the country, which are
vital to the industrial growth of any nation. Geology, as compared
to other sciences, has till recently not been a very sought after
branch of science. This is mainly because, Field Geology—
an integral part of GEOLOGY—is an (adventurous?) outdoor
science, where one may have to contend with adversities on a
regular basis. But, in the wake of technological advances and
infrastructural developments, during the last decade, there has
been a paradigm shift in the overall perspective of jobseekers.
As a result, quite a few science students—including the female
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MY REMINISCENCES AS A FIELD-GEOLOGIST
students—have started showing interest in joining Earth Science

organizations. This, indeed, augurs well for the country. Even so,
when it comes to the crunch, some of the jobseekers still end up
at the crossroads, bedeviled by the dilemma: “Is it okay to go the
GEOLOGY WAY”.
Against this backdrop, we approached Dr Srinivasa Rao Koneru

who served the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the premier
earth-science organization of the country, for many years in
different capacities. During his service, he carried out extensive
geological mapping of a variety of terrains in different parts of the
country. So, we requested him to pen down his field experiences
for the benefit of the public, particularly the students. He readily
obliged and the outcome is this booklet.
Dr Rao maintains that the life of a field geologist is an interesting

mix of both pleasant and unpleasant experiences, the former
far outnumbering the latter. Even so, he chooses to dwell upon
narrating only his tough, unpleasant experiences, because he
believes that if one can come to terms with those experiences,
then he or she can unhesitatingly opt for geologist’s profession.
Reinforcing his contention, he sums up the pros and cons of a
field geologist’s life, and finally leaves it to the students to decide
for themselves whether geologist job would be the right choice
for them.
The Natural History Society of India is grateful to Dr Srinivasa Rao

for presenting his field experiences with graphic details in a lucid
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style. We owe a debt of gratitude to Prof. R. Vaidyanathan for his

critical review of the first draft of this booklet. Our special thanks
are due to Shri M.P. Muralidharan, Dy Director General (Retd),
Geological Survey of India, for providing amazingly illustrative
cover page sketches for this booklet. We are also grateful to
Shri V. Naga Murari for the attractive layout he conceived for this
booklet.
Lastly we pay homage with a heavy heart to the departed soul of

late Prof Dilip Saha , a veteran structural geologist of the Indian
Statistical Institute (ISI), Calcutta, who wrote the Foreword for
this booklet from the hospital bed, where he was undergoing
treatment. The fact that he agreed to write the Foreword,
disregarding his health condition, is proof enough to show how
committed and devoted he was to geology. May his noble soul
rest in peace!
This booklet is a humble beginning to taking GEOLOGY to the

doorsteps of the readers, and I hope they will find it informative
and interesting.
27th October 2023 K. V. Subbarao

Natural History Society of India
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FOREWORD
I am delighted to write this note as a Foreword for the booklet

“My Reminiscences as a Field-geologist” by Dr. K. Srinivasa Rao
to be published by the Natural History Society of Inida, Vizag.
Dr. K. Srinivasa Rao is a professional geologist of the Geological
Survey of India with a long career span, finally retiring as Dy.
Director General. Although these anecdotal reminiscences
are on trials and tribulations of a geologist engaged in long
duration field campaigns, they succinctly depict the professional
commitment of a large majority of geologists recruited by the
GSI in 1960s and 1970s, even in the 1990s. The anecdotes
relate to personal experiences while camping in remote areas
of Telangana, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, in order to prepare
geological maps of the inaccessible and inhospitable terrains. All
these anecdotes bear a scent of adventure and romance those
veteran geologists of GSI enjoyed while working in forested
areas teeming with wildlife and with scant road network in those
days. Pitching tents in villages like those on the Albaka ranges is
no mundane task: all the camping gear has to be shifted as head-
load with assistance from local tribal folks.
The anecdotes by Dr. Srinivasa Rao also strike a personal chord in

me as I had also the opportunity of working in the forested terrain
along the Pranhita-Godavari valley during the late 1980s, till the
end of the last century. I am sure the real-life stories in the booklet
would similarly rekindle the personal memories of many others
who have spent long professional careers as field-geologists in
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many other remote parts of India, either working for GSI or other
organizations. The younger generation would also get a sense
of history of GSI’s long standing endeavour to map the entire
country at different scales, and the hard work that generations
of geologists have sincerely put in for their organization. For
general readers too, the well-illustrated anecdotes provide vivid
snap shots of the day-to-day experiences of field geologists
camping in forested and other inaccessible areas.
I sincerely wish popular success of the booklet.
- Dilip Saha
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CONTENTS
NHSI President’s Note iii
Foreword vii
Prologue 1
About Geological Survey of India 3
Reminiscences 10
A. Foretaste of Field-Geologist’s Life 10
(i) A tale of lal-mirchi and dahi! 10
(ii) Battling with thunderstorm on high hills! 13
B. Reminiscences of Field-Life in GSI 17
(I) Ordeals of campshifts by 18
(a) Bullock-carts–They too develop glitches! 18
(b) Jeep, boat & headloads–A multitasking challenge! 22
(c) Jeep & headloads–A risky adventure! 24
(d) Jeep & ferry–A foolhardy exercise! 26
(ii) Snake scare– Spoilsport of maiden camp’s thrill! 29
(iii) Forest-by-night– A nightmarish experience! 32
(Iv) Trapped in a maze of chasms–A veritable padmavyuh! 35
(v) Grappling with peak summer heat–Thanks to onion therapy! 37
(vi) Early morning shockers 40
(a) Tryst with local deity 40
(b) Destination graveyard 42
(vii) My most agonizing moment in the field 44
Epilogue 48
Acknowledgements 51
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The contents of this booklet, which narrate the trials and tribulations intrinsic to
field-geologist’s life, bear out the contention of John McPhee, the 1999 Pulitzer
Prize winner, for his work on “Annals of the Former World”.
With their four-dimensional minds, and in their

interdisciplinary ultra verbal way, geologists can wiggle
out of almost anything
- John McPhee
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PROLOGUE
My Credentials
I was born and brought up at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh (A.P.).
After my schooling at Vijayawada, I shifted to Visakhapatnam
(A.P.), where I did my B.Sc (Hons) Geology and M.Sc (Tech)
Applied Geology at Andhra University, Waltair, from 1957 to 1962.
After around two years of unproductive research at the University,
as a Junior Research Fellow, CSIR, I joined the Geological Survey
of India (GSI) as Geologist (Jr) in February 1965 and retired as Dy
Director General in April 2001.
My Fieldwork Areas
The most productive part of my career in the GSI was devoted
to geological mapping of different parts of Madhya Pradesh,
Chattisgarh, Telangana and Maharashtra. Prior to joining GSI,
as M. Sc (Tech) Applied Geology student, I underwent mining
training for one month at Kodarma Mica Mines in Hazaribagh
Dist., Jharkhand, and as CSIR Research Fellow, carried out
geological mapping for six weeks in Koraput Dist., Orissa.
Scope of Presentation
The reminiscences presented here relate to my fieldwork
experiences—some pleasant and some unpleasant—which
continue to linger in my mind even now, 22 years after retirement
from the GSI. Between the pleasant and unpleasant experiences,
the pleasant experiences far outnumber the unpleasant ones,
which are only few and far between. Yet, I chose to present here
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only the unpleasant experiences, as they played a key role in

shaping my personality.
Caveat
In presenting these reminiscences, I might have erred in
recollecting some finer details, particularly the dates and names
of rivers and places. Further, one might feel that some narratives
are overly detailed and some too sketchy; this contrast is merely
a reflection of the difference in my memory levels of different
instances.
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ABOUT GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
The Geological Survey of India (GSI), established in 1851 with

Central Headquarters at Kolkata and operational headquarters
at almost all the State Capitals, is the premier earth science
organisation of the country. The other earth science organisations
in the country, such as Central Groundwater Board (CGWB), Oil &
Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), and Atomic Minerals Division
(AMD), are offshoots of GSI, created after Independence to focus
on concerted and accelerated search for groundwater and some
specific minerals that are vital for the industrial growth of the
country.
GSI’s Activities: One of the main accredited duties of the GSI is

to carry out geological mapping of the entire country on
progressively larger scales. Besides the surveys on the land, it
also carries out air-borne and off-shore mineral surveys with its
own aircraft and ocean-going research vessels, fitted with state-
of-the-art scientific equipment (Figs 1, 2 & 3).
Fig. 1: Twin-Otter Aircraft of GSI used for air-borne surveys.
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Fig 2: Samudra Ratnakar, the deep-sea research vessel of GSI
Fig 3: Samudra Kaustubh, the coastal research vessel of GSI
The data obtained from land, air-borne and marine surveys

is utilized mainly for locating mineral resources, such as
precious and semi-precious stones (diamonds, gemstones etc),
precious metals (gold, silver, platinum etc), ferrous metals (iron,
manganese, chromite, nickel etc), non-ferrous metals (copper,
lead, zinc, bauxite etc), non-metallic minerals (asbestos, mica,
marble, limestone, granite, sandstone etc). The data is utilized
for studying other domains too, such as seismic (earthquake),
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geothermal (hot springs as source for power) photogeology &

remote sensing, geotechnical (assessing suitability of sites
for dams, buildings, roads etc), geo-environmental (pollution-
control studies), and Quaternary (land use maps, flood-control
measures etc) fields. The GSI has its own Training Institute, with
headquarters at Hyderabad; it conducts Orientation Courses for
its new recruits and Refresher Courses for serving officers of
scientific, engineering, and administrative streams.
For any theme-specific investigation of an area—say mineral

investigation—the first step is to study the geological map of that
area and then delineate the zones favourable for mineralization,
based on direct (surface shows) and indirect (structural trends of
the rocks, geobotanical indicators etc) evidence. The delineated
zones are mapped on a more detailed scale and samples (rocks,
soils, plants & water) collected for chemical analysis. Based on
the analytical results, target zones for locating mineralised zones
are narrowed down and then pitting and trenching (Fig 4) carried
out at select intervals/sites to collect subsurface bulk samples
for further chemical analysis.
Fig 4: Trenching for shallow subsurface investigation of suspected

mineralized zones.
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If the results prove encouraging, shallow drilling, followed by

deep drilling (Fig 5), where necessary, is carried out to delineate
the mineralized zones and assess their mineral potential.
Fig 5: Drilling for subsurface investigation of mineralized zones
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Other theme-specific investigations, such as the ones relating to

geo-engineering, geo-environmental, and Quaternary geological
domains have their distinctive protocols of investigation, but
they all share a common starting point—THE GEOLOGICAL MAP.
Geological Mapping: Geological mapping thus forms the

primary duty of the GSI, but its execution, in some areas, is beset
with problems, which are not always easy to deal with:
1. Most of the areas that remain to be covered by routine

geological mapping are either thick forests or rugged hilly
terrains, which are not easily accessible, because of lack
of motorable roads or public transport facilities. In such
areas, bullock carts may be helpful to some extent, but not
everywhere. Such areas must be mapped only by foot.
2. The geologists, for their living in such areas, must establish
camps by erecting tents (Fig 6), which is not only a skilled,
but a labour-intensive job. For establishing the camp and for
logistic support required for carrying out fieldwork, they
must depend on the local government officials and villagers.
Fig 6: Geologist’s field camp
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3. For geologists working in inhospitable terrains, covering

large areas from one camp is not feasible as that involves
unnecessary dead-walk every day. So, they must necessarily
shift their camp periodically, say after every 15-20 days, and
for that they must depend on bullock carts. But, not all areas
can be accessed even by bullock carts, in which case, they
must depend on headloads, and in some special cases, even
ferries, when the camp is to be shifted to the other side of a
river.
4. Geological mapping is tough and tiresome, as it involves
trudging across hilly terrains and wading through thick
forests, for several miles each day, constantly guarding
against snakes and wild animals. Moreover, as the geologists
walk through the forests, they must continuously keep track
of their location on the ground vis-à-vis the corresponding
point on the topographic sheet they use for mapping, lest
they should get lost in the wilderness of the jungle. Needless
to mention that the location gadget they use—the Brunton
Compass (Fig 7)—is a far cry from the now commonly used
GPS, which instantly gives precise location. The geologist’s
job thus requires, unlike most other jobs, both brain and
brawn in equal measure. In short, their job is almost like a
military job, but with civil amenities.
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Fig 7: Brunton compass & geological hammer—the main

components of geologist’s field-gear.
5. The geological map of an area is an honest and authentic

depiction of the rock types (granite, marble, limestone,
shale, sandstone etc) present in that area, their structural
trends, soils, weathering characteristics etc, besides
surface evidence of mineralization (including geobotanical
evidence), if any. THE GEOLOGICAL MAP, being the common
starting point for any investigation in any given area, its
importance cannot be overemphasized.
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REMINISCENCES
A. FORETASTE OF FIELD-GEOLOGIST’S LIFE

Prior to my joining GSI, I had a few field experiences, some
short and some long, and again some sweet and some sour.
Two bitter experiences are particularly fresh in my memory
even today, because they played a key role in conditioning
my mind to the rigours of field life.
(i) A tale of lal-mirchi and dahi!

As M. Sc (Tech) Applied Geology Student, I was deputed
to undergo mining training at Kodarma Mica Mines in the
erstwhile Hazaribagh District, Bihar (now Kodarma district,
Jharkhand), during the summer recess, after completing my
first year (1960-61) course, along with two other classmates.
On arriving at Kodarma Railway Station, we were picked up
by the mine’s management and accommodated in their
posh guest house at Kodarma. The guesthouse was so
well furnished and upholstered that we felt highly excited,
because we never expected that we would get to live in such
luxury, during mining training. The full-course dinner served
to us at the guest house, later in the evening that day, kindled
our expectations further.
But, the very next morning, dashing all our expectations, we

were shifted to their working mines and accommodated in
their common housing facility, which was no match, even
remotely, to the guest house accommodation we enjoyed
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the previous day. We felt deflated and dejected, but soon

reconciled to the changed situation.
That day, the lunch served to us in the mine’s community

mess was even more disappointing, to say the least. The
rotis were like papads; the dal was watery; the aaloo (potato)
curry was no better than porridge, with a few small pieces
of aaloo floating. The dinner was no better, either. I started
worrying how to endure that type of food for the rest of our
stay at the mines. I tried to cheer myself up, expecting that
things might improve over time.
Surprisingly, the lunch on the next day was no better; in fact,

it was even worse, because the menu was the same —roti,
dal and aaloo curry. Worse still was what the mess Manager
told us: The menu would be, more or less, the same every
day, because of scarcity of green vegetables in that area,
particularly during summer. Disgusted with the type of food
being served, I ventured to ask the Manager if we could at
least get some curd or buttermilk, on payment basis, during
lunch. He smiled at me wryly, as though I was asking for the
sky. I got the message and decided not to raise any such
issue again.
Even after that incident, I couldn’t rein in my craving for

quality food. One fine day, a strange idea flashed across my
mind: “Why not I at least make my dal a little spicy!” So, I
soon got into action, but the only spicy thing I could get from
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the mess was red chillis. I got a few of them fried, powdered,
and transferred to a small bottle, so that I could carry that
bottle to the mess, whenever I feel like adding some relish to
my dal. The next three days, I savoured the dal with a liberal
sprinkling of that powder. But, on the fourth day morning,
when I went to the restroom, I realized that my urinary tract
was on fire, and it took me 2-3 days to douse it. My escapade
with red chillies thus ended in a fiasco.
A few days later, one fine morning, the Mines Manager

informed us that one of their jeeps would soon be going to
Kodarma town for some purchases, and anybody interested
in going to Kodarma could hop into the jeep. As I had some
long-pending work at the post-office, I welcomed the offer
and jumped into the jeep that headed to Kodarma.
No sooner than we reached Kodarma, my eyes fell on a dairy

products shop. I felt excited at this happenstance, got the
jeep stopped and purchased a few dollops of dahi (curd),
because that was something I had been craving for, ever
since we landed at the mines. The dahi was delivered to me
in an earthen pot. When I held the pot, I felt as though I was
holding something that was most precious to me at that
moment; such was the height of my excitement.
Later, the driver went round the town, attending to his

scheduled purchases. All along, I had been holding the
earthen pot in my lap, as though I was tending a new-born
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baby, to ensure that it doesn’t break because of the bumpy

road we were riding on. After completing his purchases, the
driver took me to the Post Office at my request. I got down
the jeep, tightly holding the dahi pot—I was too possessive to
leave it in the jeep—headed to the counter and laid the pot on
the table nearby to purchase some postal stamps. After that,
I moved away from the counter, for a moment, in search of
the gum bottle for affixing the stamps on the envelope. When
I came back to the counter, I was shocked to find my dahi pot
missing. I felt devastated. I made some frantic enquiries at
the counter, but in vain. After that episode, I felt so resigned
to fate that I decided to be content with whatever would be
dished out to us in the mine’s mess thereafter.
A few days after that unsavoury incident, our training tenure

at the mines came to an end. When we left the mine site and
were on our way back to the University, I felt as though I was
just liberated from an open jail.
(ii) Battling with thunderstorm on high hills!

As a Research Fellow at Andhra University, Waltair, I chose
Devjolla Group of manganese mines—Kuttinga, Devjolla &
Mandhara mines—in Koraput Dist., Orissa, as the theme for
my doctoral research. They were the captive mines for the
ferromanganese plant at Rayagada, a small, sleepy town
in Orissa, which, by default, happened to be my base camp
for fieldwork. Of the three mines, only the one at Kuttinga
was productive those days. Kuttinga was about 50 km from
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Rayagada, along the road to Koraput.
Every day, around 15-20 trucks used to ply between

Rayagada and Kuttinga, transporting manganese ore to the
ferromanganese plant at Rayagada. I used to avail one of
those trucks for my daily round trip to Kuttinga, the starting
point of my fieldwork. Everyday on reaching Kuttinga, I used
to pick up two local tribals from among the mine workers
to accompany me in the field as guides-cum-helpers. After
fieldwork, I used to return to Kuttinga, have lunch in the
mine’s community mess, and then return to the base camp
at Rayagada by one of the mine’s trucks.
Following this daily routine, I completed my fieldwork within

six weeks, except for the collection of a few samples from
the then newly opened Devjolla Mine. As that mine was a
little far off from Kuttinga, and difficult to reach, I planned to
take up that work in the last week of my fieldwork. So, one
day in the last week, I set out from Kuttinga at about 10 a.m.,
firmly determined to complete the residual fieldwork.
I started off trekking as fast as I could, towards the Devjolla

Mine. After a while, I realized that the trekking was much
tougher and more time-consuming than expected because,
all along, I had to either climb a hill or climb down, with hardly
any plain in between. However, I managed to reach Devjolla
by around noon. I collected a few samples from the mine
and made some notes. After that, I settled down and ate the
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sandwiches I carried with me for lunch. After that, I felt like

resting for a while to recoup my energy, but decided against
it for fear of being delayed and missing the last truck that
leaves Kuttinga.
Determined not to let that happen, I set out trekking back

to Kuttinga, as fast I could, unmindful of the ups-and-downs
and the obstacles along the way. As I didn’t have to collect
any samples or make notes enroute, I found myself, sooner
than expected, on the top of the hill that was almost midway
between Devjolla and Kuttinga. I stood there gasping for
breath and looked around, exulting over the prospect of
reaching my destination on time. After a little while, I resumed
trekking, with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. When I was
just an hour away from Kuttinga, the sky was suddenly
overcast with dark clouds, which soon led to drizzling.
Unmindful of the drizzling, I continued walking, praying that

the drizzle passes off, but, to my despair, it escalated into
a heavy rain, accompanied by lightning and thunderstorm. I
continued to trek as I had no other option, but the rain further
escalated into a downpour. Unable to bear the pounding of
rain drops, I instinctively ran towards a big, densely foliated
tree, for shelter. But, hardly had I positioned myself under
the tree than my guide came running towards me and tried
to pull me away from the tree, but I resisted. Sensing my
reluctance to move, he shouted at me to look at a huge, tall
tree, not far away from where we stood, whose trunk was
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cleaved into two halves by lightning. What I saw sent shivers

down my spine. Frightened by that scary sight, I moved away
from the tree and stood frozen for a while, trying to come to
terms with the risk involved in being near to tall trees.
As I had to reach Kuttinga before the last truck leaves, I

decided to brave the rain and move on. I transferred my map,
wallet and wristwatch to a plastic pouch, tucked it under
the pants on my back, and set out walking resolutely. My
pace couldn’t be as fast as I wished it to be, because of poor
visibility and soggy shoes. Besides, I had to walk in a zig-
zag fashion, steering myself clear of boulders and tall trees.
Haunted all along by fear of being struck by lightning, I felt
as though the longer I walked, the farther the destination
moved farther. After a while, the rain subsided, and I could
increase my pace of walking. Finally, I could drag myself to
the destination, but by the time I reached there—I reckon it
was around 5-00 pm—the area looked desolate and eerie,
because all those working in the mine had left for Rayagada
by then, much ahead of their usual time because of rain.
Even the last truck to Rayagada had already left. I felt left out
and abandoned.
At that moment, I had two options before me: Either I stay

back in the mess at the mine site or somehow manage to
reach my base camp at Rayagada. I ruled out the first option,
because I was so badly drenched that I had to change my
dress as early as possible. So, I decided to reach Rayagada
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by cadging a ride on some truck, heading towards Rayagada.

So, I waited by the roadside for more than two hours, but no
truck-driver ventured to stop by at that hour of the rainy day
for fear of being waylaid. Finally, luck smiled on me, when
one truck driver pulled his truck by the roadside and stopped
where I was waiting. Without any haggling, I quickly struck a
deal with him to drop me at Rayagada. In fact, I was prepared
to pay him whatever I had on me at that moment, because I
was desperate to reach my base camp.
By the time I reached Rayagada, it was past 9 pm. When I

got down the truck, I felt so groggy that I could hardly stand.
Somehow, I managed to drag myself to the mess where I
normally used to have my dinner, unmindful of my wet
clothes, because I was too hungry to wait any longer. But, to
my disappointment, the mess was already cleaned up and
closed for the day. Summoning whatever little energy was
left in me, I dragged myself to my room. After a quick shower
and change of clothes, I looked around in the room to check
if I could find anything to eat. Luckily, I found some left-over
bread slices, which I grabbed, devoured greedily and washed
them down my throat with plenty of water. Patting myself on
the back for being back at home in one piece after a hectic
day, I hit the bed and soon slipped into sound sleep. When
I woke up the next morning, I felt as though I had a second
lease of life.
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B. REMINISCENCES OF FIELD-LIFE IN GSI

During the pre-independence era, the field conditions were
much tougher than those prevailing today, mainly because
transport, communication and healthcare facilities were
woefully poor and inadequate. Yet, the field geologists of
that era didn’t have to struggle much in carrying out their
fieldwork, because they used to get excellent patronage from
the government and local agencies. After independence,
the infrastructural facilities improved significantly, but that
improvement was more than offset by gradual erosion
of government’s patronage. As a result, during the post-
independence era, the geologists are forced to fend for
themselves in the field. Besides, in certain areas, they must
constantly guard themselves against the looming threat of
dacoits, Naxalites, Maoists, extremists etc.
The reminiscences presented here relate to my field

experiences in different parts of Chattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana. During the period of
my mapping (1965-80), most of the areas that figure in this
presentation were remote and backward even after three
decades of independence.
(i) Ordeals of camp-shifts by

(a) Bullock-carts—they too develop glitches!
While working in Raigarh district, Chattisgarh, I once hired
two bullock carts for my camp-shift. As soon as the carts
arrived at the camp, they were loaded with tentage and
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camp equipment and then the cart owners instructed to get

going to our next camp, which was about 10 km away. Once
they left, we started walking behind the bullock carts, rather
leisurely, in sync with the carts’ slow pace.
When we were almost halfway to our next camp, one of

the bullock carts suddenly broke down and remained
immobilised. One of its wheels collapsed like a pack of
cards. I was so shocked at this unexpected breakdown that I
just stood gaping at the collapsed cartwheel, wondering how
to deal with it. But, I soon gathered my wits only to realize
that putting the cart back on its wheels, the same day, was
well-nigh impossible. So, I started exploring for the options
that could extricate us from the predicament we landed
in. Two options came to my mind: (i) Hire another cart (ii)
Make two trips with the second cart. It was hard for me to
decide, because both the options were time-consuming and
tedious. Sensing my dilemma, the cart owners advised me
to rule out the first option, because no farmer would be able
to spare his cart at that hour of the day and that too at short
notice. So, I chose the second option, which was readily
accepted by the second cart-owner, as that would give him
extra money.
Wasting no more time in wailing over the mishap, I instructed

the second cart owner to get going to the next camp, along
with two local helpers. After that, I instructed my tahsil
peon to stay back and get everything on the stranded cart
.. 19 ..
unloaded by the time the second cart returns. A little later,

I followed the second cart along with my servant, and it
didn’t take me long to catch up with that cart. By the time
we reached the new campsite, it was almost evening. After
getting the tentage etc unloaded, I hurriedly sent back the
cart, to the break-down site, to bring whatever luggage was
left behind on the stranded cart.
Meanwhile, at the new camping site, a good number of local

villagers assembled to watch the fun that was to shortly
unfold—the hustle and bustle of tent pitching, establishing
camp etc. With the help of the villagers, I managed to get all
the tents pitched in record time, much before dusk. While
pitching the tents, I got chatty with the villagers, which
helped me in fixing up two guys for my fieldwork from the
new camp. The villagers dispersed slowly, one after the
other, after satisfying their curiosity of how the tents are
pitched and how they look inside.
Once they left, I was all alone in the camp, barring my servant
and the two guys I just hired. As the tents were already
pitched, I had nothing to do, except waiting for the rest of the
luggage to arrive. Meanwhile, I laid myself on the just-fitted
cot and tried to relax. As I felt thirsty and hungry, I grabbed
the water bottle and gulped whatever remained in it. When I
started looking for the pack-lunch, I realized that it was in the
kitchen-box loaded on the stranded cart. I cursed myself for
not having carried it with me. As there was no point in rueing
.. 20 ..
over what happened, I braced myself for the indefinite wait

ahead of me, before the second cart arrives. Meanwhile, the
looming darkness made me realize that whatever I needed
to illuminate the camp was also on the stranded cart.
On realizing that, a train of ominous thoughts started

engulfing me—like what if the second cart also breaks
down—pushing me into a mood of gloom and despondency.
But, luckily, much before that mood consumed me, the
second cart showed up, relieving me of my anxiety. I quickly
got the cart unloaded, with the help of the two villagers I just
hired, who were still hanging around in the camp.
The first thing I did after unloading the cart was, I fished out
my flashlight from the luggage and then lit up the petromax
and hurricane lantern. Once the camp was illuminated,
my tahsil peon and servant organized the kitchen and my
personal belongings. After doing all that, we all felt so
exhausted that we decided against commissioning the
kitchen that night. The pack lunch, languishing in the kitchen
box since morning, substituted for our dinner. And, that was
the end of my bullock-cart ordeal.
One gets to hear of ‘a jeep breakdown’ or ‘a car breakdown’,

but rarely of ‘a bullock cart breakdown’; I had the unique
privilege of experiencing how painful the consequences of a
cart breakdown could be.
.. 21 ..
(b) Jeep, boat & headloads—A multi-tasking challenge!

Once, I had to go through the harrowing experience of shifting
my camp in three stages—jeep, boat, and headloads—one
after the other, with no respite in between.
My field assignment for that year was geological mapping

of the Vindhyans, in Sidhi District, Madhya Pradesh. I was
camping somewhere between Chorhat and Sidhi. It was the
last week of April, and the summer heat was at its peak.
Even so, I was in a happy and relaxed mood, in anticipation
of the prospect of returning to HQ, Bhopal, after completing
my assigned fieldwork. But, that happiness was not to last
long.
One day, when I returned to my camp after a hard day’s

fieldwork, I noticed a registered envelope on my office
table. On opening it, I found it was an office order from
Bhopal headquarters, instructing me to take up preliminary
investigation of a reported occurrence of sillimanite near
Pipra, Sidhi district, before closing the camp for the field
season. Enclosed with that office order were a toposheet
and some xerox copies of published material, all relating to
the reported occurrence of sillimanite.
As I was reading that office order, I felt devastated, mainly

because the timing of the order was cruel, to say the least,
as the summer heat in that area was already at its peak.
But, I also realized that any attempt to wriggle out of that
.. 22 ..
assignment at that stage, on some excuse or the other,

would be just futile, because the order was a follow-up action
to a Parliament question; besides, I was already provided
whatever material I needed to take up the investigation,
leaving me with no scope to request for deferment of the
investigation to next year.
So, I decided to complete my residual mapping work as early

as possible and then shift to Pipra to take up the sillimanite
investigation. Meanwhile, I learnt from local enquiries that
Pipra cannot be accessed straight away by jeep; instead,
one must first go by jeep up to the right bank of the tributary
of the Son River, cross that tributary by boat and then walk
3-4 km. For a moment, I felt that the information was more
frightful than helpful.
What I finally planned, therefore, was to retain my present

camp as the base camp and then shift to Pipra with minimal
luggage. Before shifting, I made a reconnaissance trip to
Pipra, identified the camping site, and arranged for the
transport of my tentage and other equipment by headloads
from the river ghat to the Pipra camping site on the scheduled
day. Similarly, before leaving for Pipra, I instructed my driver
to reach the river ghat on the scheduled day, with jeep and
trailer, to transport the tentage etc back to the base camp. All
this involved meticulous planning and coordination; should
there be any deviation from the planned schedule, I would
run the risk of being stranded on the riverbank.
.. 23 ..
Cutting the long story short, I could finally shift my camp

to Pipra and back to the base camp as planned and carry
out the sillimanite investigation to my satisfaction. I had to
contend with numerous problems along the way, but none of
them was too formidable to derail my planned schedule of
work or affect the quality of my fieldwork.
(c) Jeep and headloads—a risky adventure!

Once I was camping along with my colleagues at
Venkatapuram, Warangal Dist., Telangana, and our task for
that year was geological mapping of the Proterozoic Pakhals.
The eastern boundary of our target area was defined partly by
the Albaka Plateau, the most prominent topographic feature
in that area. The plateau can be accessed only by foot, but
not everybody can manoeuvre that footpath, because it runs
for most of its length along steep cliffs. At some points,
the climb is near vertical, where one must hold on to some
support, say a rocky projection, to pull himself up.
Because of this difficulty in accessibility, mapping of the

plateau posed a challenge. We had two options before us:
To map the plateau from Venkatapuram, where we were
already camping, or from a camp right over the plateau. The
first option was ruled out, because the plateau was too big
to be covered by a few traverses from the existing camp.
Besides, daily climbing up and down the plateau would not
only be strenuous and hazardous but involves a lot of dead-
walk too. So, we decided to establish a short-term camp
over the plateau.
.. 24 ..
But, once we got down to dealing with the nitty-gritties of

establishing the camp over the plateau, we realized that
option also was not viable, because the tentage and many
items of the camp equipment were too heavy to be hauled
on to the plateau by headloads, particularly because some
stretches of the foot path were very steep and hazardous.
So, we were left with only one option: To secure some living
accommodation in any of the villages over the plateau. So,
we set out scouting for accommodation in different villages,
and finally zeroed in on a mud-hut in Pamanuru, the biggest
village over the plateau. The hut was then serving the village
as its community hall. It was too small and untidy to serve
us as a substitute for our tent; living in that hut was a far cry
from living in our tent, but we had to compromise, and so we
did willingly.
So, retaining our camp at Venkatapuram, two of us set

out the very next day to shift to Pamanuru, with minimal
kitchenware, stationery, and personal belongings. For this,
we had to first transport the entire luggage by jeep to the
base of the plateau and from there by head loads. As the
climb was steep and risky, we had to engage more people
than what we normally used to engage to haul that much
luggage. And, the people engaged were from the villages
over the plateau, because only they, who traverse this path
daily up and down for their livelihood, could climb the plateau
with heavy headloads.
.. 25 ..
Fortunately, the whole exercise of hauling the luggage

onto the plateau and establishing the camp at Pamunuru
could be carried out smoothly, although it proved to be an
exhausting, dawn-to-dusk exercise. Once we settled down at
Pamunuru, it did not take us more than a week to complete
our target of mapping the plateau.
One interesting takeaway of camping in the tribal village over

the plateau was that we could witness the lifestyle of the
tribals, including one of their festivities—a late-night revelry,
involving dancing with traditional headgear and colourful
outfit, besides binge drinking—which was a visual treat
(Fig 7).
Fig 7: Tribal dance with traditional headgear & outfits
(d) Jeep and ferry—a foolhardy exercise!

When we were working in Telangana State for the Godavari
Valley Project, we had to map some area on the other side
of the Pranhita River, in the adjoining Maharashtra State.
So, one fine day, we shifted our camp to Sironcha, a small
.. 26 ..
town in Maharashtra, availing the ferry service to cross the

Pranhita.
After settling down at the new camp, we started our fieldwork

in earnest from the very next day. It was progressing well
along the expected lines. One day, our driver approached us
with the request that he be allowed to go to Hyderabad on
5-days leave, as he had to attend to some urgent personal
work. We were in no mood to sanction the leave, as we
were planning to shift our camp back to Telangana any day,
the following week. But, as the driver was persistent in his
request, we had to relent.
As expected, our fieldwork was completed within the next

4-5 days after the driver went on leave. Expecting the driver
to come back any day, we started packing our stuff and
getting ready to shift the camp. We waited for two days, but
the driver didn’t show up as promised, nor did he send us any
message. Growing restive over waiting for him indefinitely,
we decided to shift our camp by hiring a local driver, but no
driver was available at such short notice. So, I decided to
drive the jeep myself, although I had no experience in driving
a jeep with a trailer, that too a fully loaded one.
The very next day, we wound up our camp as planned, and

got the tentage etc loaded onto the jeep-trailer. I started
driving the jeep towards the river ghat, and it was only after
reaching the ferry point, I realized that I didn’t factor in the
.. 27 ..
special skill required to drive a jeep with trailer on to the ferry.

On realizing that, I became a little jittery. But, having already
taken the plunge, I had no other option than venturing ahead,
come what may!
I made my first attempt to drive the jeep-trailer onto the

ferry but failed. I waited for a while and then made another
attempt but failed again. In the second attempt, I managed
to position the jeep on the ferry, but not the trailer, as it
remained stuck on the ramp. I went on revving up the engine,
yet it didn’t budge. With the second attempt also failing, my
confidence level of driving started sagging, but I composed
myself and determined not to give up. In fact, at that stage,
we had no other option than forging ahead, because we had
already dismantled our camp.
I got down the jeep and tried to figure out what exactly was
holding up the trailer. I found that the trailer was out of
alignment with the jeep, and that was why it was not moving.
The mistake I committed during both the attempts was that
I abruptly slowed down the jeep, the moment it got on to the
ferry for fear of overshooting it beyond the ferry. Because
of that abrupt slowing down, the trailer fell out of alignment
with the jeep. After realizing my mistake, I mentally marked
the safe point on board the ferry, up to which the jeep could
be driven with speed that was high enough to pull the trailer
onto the ferry. Having done that, I took a deep breath and
made one more attempt, the third one. And, lo and behold,
.. 28 ..
I could do it. Both the jeep and the trailer could be safely
positioned on the ferry.
I heaved a sigh of relief and patted myself on the back, but

my heartbeat continued to be rapid, even after crossing the
river, because such was the magnitude of the risk I took.
Notwithstanding the happy ending, I vowed to myself that I
would never embark on such a foolhardy exercise in future.
(ii) Snake-scare–spoilsport of maiden camp’s thrill!

My first independent field assignment (1967-68) was
geological mapping of parts of Raigarh dist., Chattisgarh.
I made all pre-field arrangements with great elan,
characteristic of the first timer. I got my camp equipment
booked by train to Raigarh, as also my train ticket.
Just a day prior to my scheduled departure for field, I

chanced upon seeing a news item in the local newspaper,
Hitavada, which reported that, in Tapkara village, Raigarh
dist., Chattisgarh, more than hundred people die every year
because of snakebites. When I read that news item, I felt as
though the ground was sinking under my feet, because that
was precisely the village where I was planning to establish
my maiden field camp. The scare created by this news item
threw me into a frenzy of self-protection.
So, the first thing I did after going to the office that day was
to check from the map (toposheet) if I could change my
.. 29 ..
proposed camp from Tapkara to some other village nearby,

but I couldn’t, because villages in that area are few and far
between. Left with no other option, I focussed on equipping
myself with whatever was necessary to deal with possible
risks of working in snake-infested areas. First, I made
sure that the first-aid kit issued to me by the office had all
the items required for dealing with snakebites. Second, I
purchased a 3-cell flashlight and a mosquito net.
On the scheduled day, I reached Tapkara and started

establishing my camp. First, I got all the tents pitched and
then I got a trench dug up around my tent, which was deep
and wide enough to prevent reptiles from crawling across
it into the tent. Additionally, I got DDT powder sprayed all
along the trench, although its efficacy in dispelling reptiles
was not proven. Bolstering these measures, inside the tent,
I got a mosquito net fitted over my bed. By the time the tent
was ready for occupation, it was almost evening. Then I got
down to organizing my office and personal belongings.
Exhausted after a whole day’s hard work, I had early dinner

and retired to bed. Just before going to bed, I kept my
flashlight handy under the pillow and tucked the mosquito
net under the bed on all the four sides, so that nothing could
creep on to my bed. Satisfied with the precautions taken, I
settled down to sleep.
Sometime in the middle of the night, I had to answer
.. 30 ..
nature’s call, but I was reluctant to get out of bed for fear of
snakes. I tried to control my urge to empty the bladder, as
long as I could, but after some time, I had to yield. I opened
the mosquito net, just to the extent necessary for my exit.
Before stepping out, I focussed my flashlight on the ground
to make sure that no reptiles were around. When I didn’t
find anything, I got down the bed, trembling with fear, and
walked out of the tent cautiously, flashing the torch on the
ground gingerly ahead of me and all around, continuously.
After answering the call, I walked back into the tent, got onto
the bed, tucked the mosquito net under the bed once again
and stretched myself on the bed for a second bout of sleep.
I felt as though I returned victorious after valiantly fighting a
battle. I followed a similar regimen of precautions thereafter,
every time I had to answer the nature’s call in the night.
When I woke up the next morning, I patted myself on the back,

because everything was fine in the camp. After completing
my usual morning rituals, I left for fieldwork in earnest. Once
in the field, I reminded myself that I had to be wary of the
ground I tread, lest I should step on a snake. I continued my
fieldwork, with due caution, until lunch time, but encountered
nothing scary, except two or three snakes’ cast-off skins.
Thereafter, I continued my fieldwork from Tapkara camp for

another ten days, strictly following the regimen I laid out for
myself, both in the camp and in the field. Gratifyingly, there
had not been even a single snake-encounter, although snakes’
.. 31 ..
cast-off skins were a common sight. And, those skins, some

5 to 6 ft long—very scary to look at—used to remind me of the
need to be watchful, because they obviously suggested that
the area was infested with snakes. Finally, after completing
the fieldwork, I shifted my camp from Tapkara, unhurt.
Although I didn’t encounter any snakes during my entire stay

at Tapkara, I didn’t consider the Hitavada news item a hoax,
because the omnipresent snakes’ cast-off skins testify that
the area was indeed snake-infested. It was sheer providence
that I came out unhurt from Tapkara camp. Also, the regimen
of precautions followed by me was not a wasteful exercise,
because it stood me in good stead in dealing with snake-
threats during the ensuing field-seasons.
(iii) Forest-by-night–A nightmarish experience!

During that field season, I and my colleague were carrying out
mapping of the Pakhals along Godavari Valley in Warangal
district, Telangana. One day, we had to go to Narsampet, the
nearest town, for some purchases. So, I instructed our driver
to keep the jeep ready, with enough fuel to go and come
back.
As planned, we had been to Narsampet, and by the time we

were done with our purchases, it was late in the evening. Yet,
we decided to return to the camp the same day, because it
doesn’t take more than three hours for us to get back to the
camp. So, we set out on our return journey by around 5 pm.
.. 32 ..
We were cruising steadily and merrily until we were about 5

km away from the camp, when the jeep started stuttering for
some distance, and finally stopped dead. We all panicked as
it happened amid a forest, and it was already getting dark.
The driver got down, opened the bonnet, and tinkered with
different parts of the engine, for more than an hour, following
the usual fault-finding protocol, but to no avail. Disgusted
with his futile exercise, and as a last-ditch effort, I asked
the driver to check the fuel tank. And, when he opened it,
I was shocked to find it bone-dry. Knowing our driver and
how upright he was, I could immediately make out that he
emptied the tank at some opportune moment in Narsampet
and sold off the petrol to somebody. Making no secret of my
indignation, I looked at him sternly and asked, “How could
this happen?” Without looking at me, he mumbled, “I don’t
know sir; I myself am surprised!”
Realizing the futility of precipitating the issue at that

juncture, I switched over to planning what should be done
to salvage ourselves from the mess we got into. Walking
back to Narsampet or to the camp was not an option at all,
because either way the distance was too much to walk and
hazardous too, at that hour of the day. So, we were left with
only one option and that was to stay put in the forest where
we were stranded.
Forced to stay overnight in the forest, I started exploring
.. 33 ..
what could be done to mitigate the discomfort of overnight

stay in the forest, particularly in protecting ourselves from
the biting winter cold! Then, it flashed across my mind “Why
not I make something like a bonfire, so that all of us could
bask in its warmth, the whole night”. When I shared my idea
with others, they all nodded in approval and immediately got
into action; they collected firewood, stacked it and ignited it,
using my cigarette lighter. That was the only time in my life
when I thanked myself for having been a smoker because,
had I not been a smoker, we wouldn’t have had anything to
ignite the firewood.
By the time the bonfire was readied, everybody was feeling

hungry, but we had nothing to eat. So, we had to satisfy
ourselves with whatever water was left in our bottles. Then,
we all settled down around the bonfire—some sitting, some
standing, and some lying down—praying that the night pass
off safely. After a while, as I looked around, what I could
perceive were only two things: stark darkness and eerie
silence—both frightening. We all tried to sleep, or at least
catch a wink or two, but none of us could for fear of reptiles,
wild animals and even Naxalites, although they were not
active those days. Being awake for most of the time, I felt
the night was ominously long!
Finally, as the birds started chirping, heralding the daybreak,

I heaved a sigh of relief as we all could come out of the
frightening night unscathed. It was sheer providence that
.. 34 ..
nothing untoward happened to any of us. As soon as the

day broke, my colleague and I trekked back to our camp,
leaving the jeep in the custody of the driver and a local guide.
Immediately after reaching the camp, we sent a jerry can
of petrol, through two local guides, to where the jeep was
stranded. After getting the petrol, the driver transferred it to
the jeep’s fuel tank and then drove back the jeep to the camp.
All through the next day, the nightmarish experience

continued to linger in my mind, and I couldn’t stop wondering
how the driver managed to siphon off petrol from the fuel
tank and sell it off too—all during the short span of just
one hour, when we were away from the jeep, making some
sundry purchases. In the evening, I felt like summoning the
driver and reprimanding him, but decided against it, because
I was sure that nothing worthwhile would come out of it. So,
I just called him, warned him sternly and closed the issue,
even as he was trying to defend himself.
(iv) Trapped in a maze of chasms—a veritable padmavyuh!

My colleague and I set out one morning for our routine
fieldwork over Albaka Plateau, Warangal Dist., Telangana.
The Plateau, the loftiest topographic feature in that area,
can be accessed only by foot and that too from a few select
points. Our target for the day was to carry out two E-W
traverses across the plateau for a detailed understanding
of the Doli Sandstone, capping the Plateau. After reaching
the plateau top, we started our fieldwork in earnest and it
.. 35 ..
was progressing smoothly till we were confronted by deep,

gaping fissures, traversing the Sandstone in a criss-cross
pattern. The fissures were so wide and deep that they qualify
to be termed ‘chasms’. Never did I come across such awe-
inspiring fissures!
As the chasms were deep, walking across them was

impossible; to cross them we had to walk along their entire
length and then walk back along the other side of the chasm.
This unexpected detour not only delayed our fieldwork, but
also deflected our traverse direction from what we originally
planned. In some instances, particularly on our return trip,
we had to detour so often, and in such zig-zag fashion that
we often lost our bearings. Sometimes, we were not even
sure whether we were heading towards our camp or away
from it.
Ultimately, we somehow managed to complete our targeted

fieldwork, but it was so much delayed that we remained
groping our way back to the camp till late in the evening,
by which time we were completely exhausted. And, with
looming twilight, finding our way back to the camp was
getting harder by the minute. At one stage, we even panicked
if we could get back to the camp the same day. However,
providentially again, after several trials, we could ultimately
position ourselves on the right track and proceed in the right
direction to reach our camp.
.. 36 ..
Meanwhile, our colleague, who stayed back in the camp, was

growing restive over the inordinate delay in our return to the
camp, because under normal circumstances, we should have
been back at the camp by a 5 pm, latest. He anxiously waited
until dusk, but finally, unable to contain his anxiety, set out in
search of us, carrying a flashlight and accompanied by two
local guides, both armed with long sticks. Coincidentally, at
around the same time, we happened to reach the camp. On
seeing us, he laughed heartily and heaved a sigh of relief.
Exulting over our reunion, we all hugged each other.
(v) Grappling with peak-summer heat—Thanks to onion

therapy!
While mapping the Godavari Valley Pakhals, my colleague
and I had been reporting to our headquarters numerous
occurrences of laterite/limonite cappings over the shaly
hill tops. The office never took cognizance of those reports
during the entire field season—of course, we didn’t expect
either—but, at the fag-end of the field-season, it shot off
a letter directing us to sample all the cappings, thus far
reported by us. The letter sounded more like a bombshell
than an office order, for three reasons: (i) The timing of the
order—last week of April, when the summer heat was at
its peak—was most inappropriate; (ii) Ordering us to go all
over the area (> 800 sq km) again in that summer heat, was
inhuman, to say the least; (iii) If we continue to stay in that
area beyond the first week of May, we run the risk of being
marooned, because by then the monsoon would set in and
.. 37 ..
the rivulets would be in spate. So, we requested our office to

defer the proposed sampling work to next field season, but
our request fell on deaf ears. We felt frustrated, but realizing
the futility of pursuing the issue further, we decided to get
going with the sampling work in earnest from the very next
day.
Going all over the area again from the same camp, would
entail a lot of dead-run; yet, we decided against shifting our
camp, because the sampling work at any given place would
not last for more than 2-3 days. So, we decided to stay
put in the same camp. We estimated that 3-4 weeks’ time
might be needed to go all over the area again, but we also
realized that we cannot afford to remain in the field that long
because of the impending monsoon. If we were to complete
the assigned work before the monsoon break-out, i.e., within
the next 15-20 days, then we had to put in extra hours of
fieldwork every day. So, from the very next day, we started
working from dawn to dusk, unmindful of the mid-summer’s
oppressive heat.
To protect ourselves from possible sunstroke, we took

special care to remain adequately hydrated throughout the
fieldwork. As an additional precaution, we even used to
carry onions below our hats and in pockets, because my
experience showed that onions do work well in warding off
the heat.
.. 38 ..
When our sampling work was in top gear, one fine morning, a
field-guide, who used to accompany us to the field every day,
showed up at the camp as usual, but expressed his inability
to accompany us to the field that day, as he had been
passing blood in urine since last night. On hearing that, I felt
guilty, because I knew that this could be due to prolonged
exposure to the sun, but all that I could do at that moment
was to suggest some palliative measures to mitigate his
suffering. Later, we continued our fieldwork as usual with
another guide.
One day, while returning from fieldwork, we were caught

up in a sudden, heavy rain—following a cloud-burst—and,
in no time, the rivulets were in spate, blocking our return
to the camp. And, this happened when we were just half-
an-hour away from our camp. We desperately tried, till
almost nightfall, to find some route to our camp, but in vain.
Meanwhile, the problem became even more challenging,
because of nightfall. Finally, after struggling for more than
an hour, out of sheer providence, we could reach our camp.
Ironically, after reaching the camp, we realized that we had
been all along circling around our camp, within a radius of
just 200-300 m.
Braving all the problems of scorching heat and occasional

cloudbursts, we could finally manage to achieve our
sampling target. After completing our fieldwork, we were in
no mood to stay in the camp even for a day more, because
.. 39 ..
of the risk of getting marooned. So, the very next day, we

hurriedly closed the camp, returned to headquarters and
submitted all the samples for chemical analysis.
(vi) Early morning shockers

I can vividly recall two instances, which shocked me early in
the morning, when I came out of my tent for a fresh breeze
of air: The first one was more a pleasant surprise than a
shocker; the second one was indeed a shocker—a repulsive
one.
(a) Tryst with local deity: I was camping just by the

roadside, near a small village in Sidhi dist., M.P. As it was
mid-summer, I got my tents pitched under fully grown trees,
with a drinking water well nearby, to boot. Not far from my
tent were a few stone idols of nondescript shapes and sizes,
showing traces of worship by the locals.
After a few days of camping there, one fine morning, when

I woke up and came out of my tent, I was surprised to find
that the whole area around my tent wore a festive look
with village folk—men, women, and children—all dressed
in colourful outfits, moving around playfully, exchanging
pleasantries with their kith and kin. Gaping at the unexpected
spectacle with awe, I remained transfixed for a while. As the
sun rose, the crowd started swelling with people trickling in
from all directions. People from far off villages were arriving
in bullock carts, which were ornately decked up befitting the
.. 40 ..
festive occasion.
After a while, my local field guide arrived on the scene

and explained to me how every year, the nearby villagers
congregate there to offer prayers to the village deity. On
learning that, I felt a little guilty for having trespassed into
their domain of worship; I wondered why no one cared to tell
me about this annual religious ritual and dissuaded me from
camping there. Perhaps, they were afraid to tell me because
I was a government officer—I thought.
By noon, the crowd had swollen to such an extent that

people started congregating right around my tent, for want
of space elsewhere, making it difficult for me to come out of
my tent. For a moment, I felt as though I was under house
arrest! Some villagers took the liberty of even peeping into
my tent to just see how it looks inside. Understanding their
curiosity, I made no effort to dissuade them.
Watching the evolving situation, I was worried that the

security of my tent would be compromised if I go for my
routine fieldwork, leaving the tent unattended. So, I cancelled
my fieldwork for the day and stayed put in the tent. I enjoyed
the whole day watching the villagers performing their
religious rites and socializing with their friends and relatives.
By evening, the crowd started melting and by dusk, the whole
area wore a desolate look.
.. 41 ..
The next morning, when I woke up and came out of the tent,
I was greeted by a sort of deafening silence, which made me
feel, for a while, like a child abandoned by the roadside.
(b) Destination graveyard: When we were working in

Warangal dist., Telangana, we used to shift our camp every
10-15 days. The protocol we normally used to follow, prior
to shifting our camp, was that we first reconnoitre the
prospective villages, scout for suitable camping sites, and
finally select one.
However, for this camp shift, we deliberately skipped this

protocol, because the village we had in mind for our next
camp was not only far off, but difficult to reach too, mainly
because it had no good approach road. So, after winding up
our existing camp, we headed straight towards the village
we selected for our next camp.
As we started driving, we soon realized that the cart track we

were banking upon to reach that village had been in disuse
for long. As a result, we had to face numerous hurdles in
driving on that track. Many a time, we had to get down the
jeep to remove the boulders obstructing our way, level up the
cart-wheel burrows, wherever they were too deep for a jeep,
hack bushes etc. At some places, where the obstructions
were too many or too heavy to remove, we had to make short
diversions too, which was laborious and time-consuming.
.. 42 ..
So, we could hardly cover 6-7 km by dusk, and we had

to drive another 2-3 km before reaching our proposed
campsite. We continued driving, and when it was almost
dark, we happened to be on the outskirts of a small village.
As we drove past that village, we noticed a large, open
ground, which we thought would be eminently suitable for
camping. Having already been exhausted for the day and
anticipating that night-driving in that terrain would be even
more challenging, we took a snap decision to camp on that
ground itself, and so we did.
When we took that decision, our plan was to continue our

camp in that village, instead of shifting to the village we
originally planned. I don’t even remember how we managed
to pitch our tents in the dark and whether we had eaten
anything that night. But, I do remember that, having travelled
the whole day and toiled hard, making our way enroute, we
all slept like logs of wood.
When we woke up the next morning, we found to our horror

that we were camping right amid the graveyard of that
village. The very realization of having slept the whole night
amid the graveyard was so repulsive that we had taken
another snap decision to shift our camp post-haste to the
village we originally planned, and so we did.
.. 43 ..
(vii) My most agonizing moment in the field

During the first few field seasons of my field work in Raigarh
district, Chattisgarh, my wife used to accompany me to
the field. We fondly remember, even today, those field days
as the halcyon days of our life, notwithstanding several
agonising moments we had to go through. I narrate here
one such instance, which tops the list of those moments, in
terms of anxiety and agony.
For camp-shifts, with a jeep-trailer, the protocol normally

followed by me was to make two trips. On the first trip, I
used to go alone to the next campsite along with tentage
and some camp equipment, establish the camp and then
return to the old camp to pick up my wife and the remaining
camp equipment.
Once, after winding up our camp early in the morning, as

usual, I got the main tentage, camp equipment etc loaded
on the jeep-trailer and then set out on the first trip to the next
camp site, which was about 15 km away. Accompanying
me were two local guides. When we were half-way to the
next camp, the jeep developed some glitch in the engine; it
bucked, stuttered for some distance, and finally stopped on
the ghat road, amid the forest. Then, it was around 10 a.m.
and we were about 4-5 km from Dharmajayagarh, the Tahsil
Headquarters.
The driver got down the jeep, opened the bonnet, tinkered
.. 44 ..
with different parts of the engine, and tried to identify the

problem, but he could not. So, he requested that he be
allowed to go to Dharmajayagarh and bring a mechanic
to help him identify and fix the problem. Left with no other
option, I instantly agreed. Availing the public transport bus
service, he went to Dharmajayagarh and soon returned
with a mechanic. The mechanic immediately got on to his
job and identified the problem in no time. He offered to
fix the problem if the required spare parts are provided.
So, I paid the driver some money and asked him to go to
Dharmajayagarh immediately, along with the mechanic, to
purchase the spares required.
Once they left, I started growing restive, because I had

absolutely no clue as to how long they would take to come
back with the spares. For a moment, I was even worried,
what would be our plight if the spares are not available
at Dharamjaygarh! And, if that were to be the case, then
they would have to go all the way to Raigarh, the district
headquarters, which is too far to go and come back the
same day, at that hour of the day. I shuddered even to think
of such an eventuality, because that would force us to stay
put overnight amid the forest on the ghat road. As that very
thought was frightening, I dismissed it every time it crossed
my mind.
Worse still, I could not help indulging myself in all sorts of

wild imaginations; how would my wife—left behind in the
.. 45 ..
camp to fend for herself—cope with her anxiety, because

I would be delayed by several hours in picking her up. The
more I thought of her, the more I was getting stressed. I
even went to the extent of worrying that if she also were to
indulge herself in ominous thoughts, as can be expected of
any normal mortal left in such a predicament, nothing could
be more agonizing than that. Yet, I could do nothing except
suffering silently.
While I was on the brink of exploding with anxiety, at around

3 p.m., the driver and mechanic showed up with the spare
parts, relieving me of my pent up anxiety. I heaved a sigh of
relief. Having already identified the problem, the mechanic
didn’t take long to fix it. I paid off the mechanic, rather
liberally, for saving us from the mess we got into. Wasting no
more time, we headed straight to the next campsite and were
there in less than an hour. I got the jeep-trailer unloaded, the
tents pitched, and the new camp established–all on a war
footing to make up for the delay. By the time we were ready
to get back to the old camp, it was around 5 p.m. As we were
already several hours behind the schedule, we frenziedly
rushed back to the old camp for the second trip.
Even on the return trip, I could not help worrying about my

wife, who by then would have been terribly stressed up with
anxiety, because she was totally clueless as to why I was
so much delayed and how long I would take to pick her
up. Ultimately, when I reached the camp, I found her, to my
.. 46 ..
pleasant surprise, surrounded by some local womenfolk,

who were trying to pep up her sagging spirits. On seeing that,
I felt greatly relieved, and on seeing me, she felt even more
relieved. Enjoying the mood of relieved anxiety, we heartily
savoured our pack-lunch (which we normally carry during
camp-shifts), packed up and rushed to the new camp.
This whole episode remained tattooed on my brain for two

reasons: (i) The mental agony suffered by me and my wife
was so excruciating that it was hard forget; (ii) The concern
and hospitality shown by the local villagers to my wife, when
she needed them most in my absence, were exemplary.
.. 47 ..
EPILOGUE
The foregoing reminiscences give the impression that ‘geologist’

profession is tough and challenging. Yes! It is indeed challenging,
particularly to the geologists engaged in geological mapping.
Their most challenging task is not just enduring the hardships of
field life but remaining in the field for long spells, away from family
and friends, forgoing many comforts. For geologists engaged in
theme-specific investigations, such as mineral and geotechnical
investigations, the challenges are no less formidable; only the
nature of challenges differs. However, all this is just one side
of the coin. The flip side is altogether different; it more than
compensates for what the geologists lose by being in the field.
The flip side offers certain unique privileges to the field

geologists, such as living in tents amidst natural environs,
savouring the scenic beauty of green forests and rivers, watching
the traditions and lifestyles of tribals and village folk and, above
all, enjoying a pollution-free environment, away from the din and
dust of modern living. Besides, some geologists could be lucky
enough to get a chance of watching wildlife in its natural habitat,
from close quarters.
I am one among those lucky few. I can vividly recall several

instances when I felt threatened by wild animals—bears,
buffaloes, dogs, bores, porcupines etc. In the same breath, I can
also recall the moments, when I used to tread gingerly through the
infamous dacoit-infested Chambal Ravines in Madhya Pradesh
.. 48 ..
and the Naxal-infested forests in Khammam and Warangal

districts, Telangana. They were the scariest moments of my field
life; yet, I treasure them as fond memories, because whenever
they cross my mind, I feel as though I emerged victorious from
well-fought out battles. After retiring from GSI, all those privileges
are gone, but their memories linger.
Another interesting advantage of field life—an intangible one,

though—is that the hardships of field life help the geologists in
fortifying their personality, just as fire tempers iron, by imbuing
them with the courage and conviction necessary to deal with
tough situations they might run into in future, without being
overwhelmed. Post-retirement, I have been battling with quite
a few challenges, just as many others of my ilk. Every time I
wriggle out of a challenging situation, I pat myself on the back
and thank GSI for having hardened me enough to steer through
that challenge successfully.
If anybody asks me to rate my experience in GSI, I would simply

say, “Great!” The fact that I spent my entire career in GSI, without
ever looking sideways for better career prospects is proof
enough to show how much I loved my career as a geologist of
GSI. The challenges I faced during my service could never deter
me from sticking to the profession I chose, because I fervently
believe that no profession is free from challenges. Even the civil
services, medical and engineering professions—the most sought-
after professions—are challenging in their own ways; only the
nature and magnitude of the challenges differ. Every profession
.. 49 ..
has its plus and minus points, and the ‘geologist’ profession is no
exception. But, if one has passion for exploring Nature in all its
splendour and dimensions, then the ‘geologist’ profession is the
hands-down choice.
Disclaimer: Admittedly, the perspective presented here has been

losing its relevance to the present context, of late, because the
geologists are no longer required to camp in tents or to carry out
rigorous fieldwork for long periods, thanks to the advent of aerial
photographs, land-sat imageries, remote sensing applications,
and a host of sophisticated analytical instruments. Besides, the
giant leap in transport and communications during the last three
decades (dense network of roads, easy access to GPS facility
& mobile networks) eliminated most of the field problems of
yesteryears. Even so, there are still some areas in the country
where geological investigations continue to be challenging.
.. 50 ..
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to The Natural History Society of India (NHSI) and

to Dr. K.V. Subbarao, President, NHSI, for publishing this booklet
to create awareness among the public, particularly the budding
geologists about the pros and cons of being a field-geologist.
I profusely thank my colleague, Shri T. Sreenivasa Rao, who

was with me, all along, during my fieldwork in Telangana and
Maharashtra. He smilingly sailed through and shared with me all
the trials and tribulations narrated here. He was a great asset.
.. 51 ..
The following quotation of Will Durant – American historian and philosopher who
won the Pulitzer Prize for “The Story of Civilization”, which he co-authored with
his wife, Ariel Durant – eloquently sums up the influence of GEOLOGY on human
civilization:
Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to

change without notice.
- Will Durant
.. 52 ..
NHSI AND GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA
PUBLICATIONS
Publications of the Natural History Society of India (NHSI)

jointly with the Geological Society of India (GSI)
1. Landforms of India (2014) [a]

2. A world Ignored (2018) [Publication of NHSI only] [b]
3. Story of Dinosaurs (2020) [a, b]
Copies can be obtained from:

[a] Geological Society of India
“Radhakrishna Bhavan”, No. 30/31, 1st Main, 3rd Cross,
Byrappa Garden, Kathriguppe,
BSK 3rd Stage, Bangalore – 5600085
Email: geoscind@gmail.com
[b] Natural History Society of India

Flat No. 201, Aliens Valley Alps,
Diamond Heights Layout, Plot No. D.H.87/88,
Near Aparna Sarovar, Gopanapally,
Hyderabad – 500046
Email: nhsi.nhpm@gmail.com
NOTES

.. 56 ..

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SRINIVASA RAO KONERU

NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF INDIA

Srinivasa Rao Koneru

Natural History Society of India

Cover page drawings by

Popular Science Series No.: 4

Printed at: Dharani Printers

The Natural History Society of India (NHSI), established in

Determined to carry forward our avowed commitment, we

students—have started showing interest in joining Earth Science

Against this backdrop, we approached Dr Srinivasa Rao Koneru

Dr Rao maintains that the life of a field geologist is an interesting

The Natural History Society of India is grateful to Dr Srinivasa Rao

style. We owe a debt of gratitude to Prof. R. Vaidyanathan for his

Lastly we pay homage with a heavy heart to the departed soul of

This booklet is a humble beginning to taking GEOLOGY to the

27th October 2023 K. V. Subbarao

I am delighted to write this note as a Foreword for the booklet

The anecdotes by Dr. Srinivasa Rao also strike a personal chord in

I sincerely wish popular success of the booklet.

NHSI President’s Note iii

About Geological Survey of India 3

A. Foretaste of Field-Geologist’s Life 10

(i) A tale of lal-mirchi and dahi! 10

(ii) Battling with thunderstorm on high hills! 13

B. Reminiscences of Field-Life in GSI 17

(I) Ordeals of campshifts by 18

(a) Bullock-carts–They too develop glitches! 18

(b) Jeep, boat & headloads–A multitasking challenge! 22

(c) Jeep & headloads–A risky adventure! 24

(d) Jeep & ferry–A foolhardy exercise! 26

(ii) Snake scare– Spoilsport of maiden camp’s thrill! 29

(iii) Forest-by-night– A nightmarish experience! 32

(Iv) Trapped in a maze of chasms–A veritable padmavyuh! 35

(v) Grappling with peak summer heat–Thanks to onion therapy! 37

(vi) Early morning shockers 40

(a) Tryst with local deity 40

(b) Destination graveyard 42

(vii) My most agonizing moment in the field 44

With their four-dimensional minds, and in their

only the unpleasant experiences, as they played a key role in

ABOUT GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA

The Geological Survey of India (GSI), established in 1851 with

GSI’s Activities: One of the main accredited duties of the GSI is

Fig. 1: Twin-Otter Aircraft of GSI used for air-borne surveys.

Fig 2: Samudra Ratnakar, the deep-sea research vessel of GSI

Fig 3: Samudra Kaustubh, the coastal research vessel of GSI

The data obtained from land, air-borne and marine surveys

geothermal (hot springs as source for power) photogeology &

For any theme-specific investigation of an area—say mineral

Fig 4: Trenching for shallow subsurface investigation of suspected

If the results prove encouraging, shallow drilling, followed by

Fig 5: Drilling for subsurface investigation of mineralized zones

Other theme-specific investigations, such as the ones relating to

Geological Mapping: Geological mapping thus forms the

1. Most of the areas that remain to be covered by routine

Fig 6: Geologist’s field camp

3. For geologists working in inhospitable terrains, covering

Fig 7: Brunton compass & geological hammer—the main

5. The geological map of an area is an honest and authentic

A. FORETASTE OF FIELD-GEOLOGIST’S LIFE

(i) A tale of lal-mirchi and dahi!

But, the very next morning, dashing all our expectations, we