Hyderabad: Geology is no more a male preserve. Women these days aren't scared of getting their hands dirty to study the earth.
Unlike other scientists who are tethered to their office, geologists have a lot of outdoor work to do. Hence, there is hesitation among many to enter this field, and women in the past showed little interest in this. Today, many are venturing in.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, geologist D'silva Danira from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) says the experience of working as a geologist has made her a stronger and independent woman. "For me, geology became my career as an accident. I have been associated with exploration projects for seven years, including two years in the private sector. I am currently assigned with a project in Machanur Block, Karnataka, and have been working on this exploration process since 2017.”
Adds she, “Working on a drilling project brings a whole different set of challenges. I constantly find myself to be the only woman in a group of 10-15 people. I have learned to raise my voice and concerns whenever necessary. The experience of working as a geologist has made me a stronger and independent woman. There were times I had to take extra efforts to prove myself as compared to my male counterparts. Yet, I have learnt that this is an uphill climb, one that’s enjoyable."
In her most-recent find, she and her partner have completed 4,828m of drilling and have estimated 16.2 MT resource of copper (Cu) at 0.6per cent Cu grade in the Machanur block.
"It’s not like a regular job where you are behind a desk. Here, a lot of field work is involved. We have to travel, climb mountains and sometimes come face-to-face with wild animals," says D'silva Danira.
Suchismita Swain, another geologist, says: "Working as a geoscientist, day by day, I am becoming an independent, confident woman who has learnt the time-management skill which improves my technical and administrative spheres."
