Veteran Hydrogeologists have been felicitated during in ceremony during the INC-IAH Seminar on EARTH SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE ON GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY – RECENT ADVANCES (1st to 2nd March 2025) at Amity University, Jaipur
- Late Professor Satish S. Thigale
- Professor G. Krishna Rao
- Dr. S. P. Sinha Ray
- Professor V. Subramanian
- Dr. V. B. Khilnani
Late Professor Satish S. Thigale
Prof. Satish Shripad Thigale, a distinguished scholar and academician, has made pioneering contributions to the fields of hydrogeology, disaster management, and geo-environmental appraisal. Born on January 1, 1945, he obtained his B.Sc. (Hons) degree from Fergusson College, Pune University (1966) and later pursued an M.Sc. (Tech) from Nagpur University (1969). His academic journey led him to Pune University, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1978.
As a faculty member at the Department of Geology, Pune University, Prof. Thigale played a vital role in mentoring scholars, having guided 13 Ph.D. students. His prolific research output includes over 65 publications in reputed national and international journals and the editing of four significant research volumes. His dedication to knowledge dissemination is reflected in his involvement with the Indian Science Congress Association, where he served as Sectional Member (1987, 2000) and President of the Earth Science Section (2004), delivering a seminal presidential address on watershed studies.
Prof. Thigale’s expertise has been recognized globally through academic engagements in Austria, Malaysia, Australia, the USA, Japan, Yemen, Iran, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. His specialization in watershed management, RS-GIS applications, and disaster management has contributed significantly to environmental sustainability and public awareness.
Professor G. Krishna Rao
Prof. G. Krishna Rao was born on June 15, 1943, in Bondada village, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. He had an outstanding academic career, earning his B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Geology from Andhra University (1961–1971) and undergoing Geological Survey of India (GSI) Officer’s field training in 1971. He began his professional career as an Assistant Hydrogeologist with the State Groundwater Department, A.P., in 1972, later joining the Central Ground Water Board in 1974. In 1979, he moved to academia as a Lecturer in Geology at Andhra University, where he served until retirement in 2003. From 1986 to 1991, he was deputed as a Colombo Plan Expert to Tribhuvan University, Nepal, by the Government of India. He also held key administrative roles, serving as Dean of Examinations (1998–2002) and later as Coordinator (Director) of the Delta Studies Institute (2002–2005). Post-retirement, he was honored with an Emeritus Professorship.
Prof. Rao guided ten Ph.D. and one M.Phil. scholar, along with seven M.Sc. dissertations in Nepal. His research resulted in 83 national and international journal papers (five from Nepal), 13 special volume articles, and 68 conference presentations, covering topics such as Bauxite, Groundwater studies, and environmental geology.
His extensive fieldwork included groundwater exploration, well spacing studies, drilling supervision, long-duration pumping tests, and water supply investigations. He also raised public awareness on groundwater pollution, overexploitation, mining, and land subsidence due to natural gas extraction from the Krishna-Godavari Basin, providing critical insights to government agencies.
Dr. S. P. Sinha Ray
Dr. S. P Sinha Ray, born in April 1942 got his Post Graduate degree in Applied Geology from Jadavpur University in 1964 and obtained PhD (Science) degree from J.U. in 1974. He joined Geological Survey of India in 1966, subsequently his service was transferred to Central Ground Water Board in 1972. He retired as Member (SML), Central Ground Water Board in 2002. He has more than 50 years of extensive experience in ground water exploration, development and management. By virtue of his long association with the apex body of the country dealing with ground water resources, he has acquired a very rich experience in the particular subject. Besides having vast knowledge about the subject within the country, he has also gained knowledge and working experience in other countries like Algeria, Bangladesh. USA, Korea and Zimbabwe. He has also contributed in various national and international publications. He attended Training on “Ground Resources Development organized by Overseas Technical Cooperation agency, Japan, Tokyo in 1973 and training on “Computer and databases” in San Juan, Puerto Rico, by U.S. Geologist Survey in 1992.
He is a distinguished hydrogeologist with significant contributions to groundwater research and policy. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Fluoride Task Force, PHED, West Bengal; a Member of the Arsenic Task Force, West Bengal; and Chairman of the R&D Committee for Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean, Planetary Science, and Water Resources under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of West Bengal. A Fellow of the West
Bengal Academy of Science and President Emeritus of the Centre for Ground Water Studies (CGWS), he has played a pivotal role in advancing hydrogeological research. In 1982, he established the Indian National Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (INC-IAH) in Kolkata in consultation with Dr. Romijn, then Secretary General of IAH, and served as its secretary under the leadership of the late Dr. K. K. Prasad. He has organized key seminars in Kolkata and Patna, edited influential books on groundwater development and contamination published by Springer, and co-edited a volume on water resources in Eastern and Northeastern India. After retiring in 2002, he founded CGWS in 2003, an organization accredited by CGWA in 2021, which has since completed over 100 hydrogeological research projects. His contributions also include being the first member from the Hydrogeological Branch in both the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and the CGWA, cementing his legacy in groundwater science and management.
Professor V. Subramanian
Professor V. Subramanian is a renowned scientist, professor and a pioneer in the field of Environmental Sciences. A retired but RE-TYRED Professor from the School of Environmental Sciences, JNU and UGC Emeritus professor, he has recently been declared by Stanford University study to be amongst the top 2% scientists in the world in the field of Environmental Sciences. Highlights of his personal achievements in training/education include a gold medal in the Masters in Geosciences from Jadavpur in the year 1966. A Fulbright scholar all-through his stints in Yale University, Univ. Illinois, Chicago, culminated in a PhD from Northwestern University, USA 1973.An exemplary academic, he has pioneered the field of environmental sciences in India with seminal research contributions. Significant academic positions include Emeritus Fellow, UGC, Advisor, Amity Univ., coordinator, DRS Prog. In Biogeochemistry, Professor and Dean, School of Environmental Sciences, JNU, Asst. Prof. McGill University, Canada, Guest Faculty DU, DCE.A visiting faculty at a number of international and national institutions including Oxford brooks university, UK, University Antwerpen, Belgium, CNRS, Toulouse, France; Hamburguni university, Bremen university, Germany, University of Delaware, USA and University of Upsala, Sweden. He continues to deliver keynote and invited lectures in institutions, conferences and meetings national and international. As a hands-on researcher and a scientist in water chemistry, geology, environment and climate sciences, he has supervised over 35 PhDs and 85 MPhils in the last 40 years with his many students currently VCs in Universities, UN, Policymakers in the government and of course professors and scientists around the world. His areas of expertise and specialization encompasses Environmental Chemistry, River water quality and quantity, Environmental quality, EIA, Water and Environment, Geochemistry and natural mineral and water resources, Pollution, River basins, Hydrology and Impact assessment. Authoring over 13 books. Honors: Hanse fellow, Institute of advanced Study, Delmenhorst, Germany (May 2004-July, 2004). Palme Fellow, University of Uppsala, Sweden. 2003-2006.Nominated for Stockholm Water Prize,2003 by University of Uppsala and valid till 2008.
Dr. V. B. Khilnani
Dr. V.B. Khilnani is the Founder, Chairman, and Managing Director of Hydro-Geosurvey Consultants Private Limited, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, since 1988. He is now 87 years old, born on 5th April, 1938 and son of a freedom fighter who was imprisoned thrice by British Government during 1940 to 1942. After returning from foreign deputation from Tanzania in 1980, he sought voluntary retirement from the Government of Rajasthan where he was
working as Superintending Hydrogeologist, Ground Water Department, Jodhpur and established partnership firms and worked as its Chief Executive, HYDROGEOSURVEY, undertaking ground water investigations and GEOSURVEY conducting mineral investigations from 1981-88. Since 1988, he formed a groundwater consultant organization when his two sons and daughter -in –law joined as Executive Directors after qualifying M.Tech in Applied Geophysics and Applied Geology from Roorkee University. Dr. Khilnani is working with large Indian Corporate houses owning cement plants, thermal power plants, steel plants, Zinc smelters, paper and breweries, base metal and limestone mines, open cast coal and underground mines etc by conducting comprehensive hydrological and hydrogeological assessment studies comprising remote sensing, long- duration pumps, impact of mining and plants on the surface and ground water regime as these studies were necessary to get environmental clearances from MoEF&CC and NOC from CGWA. He also visited and conducted investigations in foreign counties like Chad, Vietnam, UAE, and Madagascar.
He also worked on Asian Development Bank assisted projects as Hydrogeologist with Project Management Consultants for J&K and Gaya city (Bihar) to identify and assess new groundwater resources of water supply of these cities for next 15 and 30 years and with Cairn Energy Pty. Ltd for identifying saline water source providing 2500 KLD for injection for enhancing the crude oil recovery during 2003-06 and got its NOC from CGWA.
While working with Groundwater Department, he proved Ferruginous Jodhpur sandstone as a potential aquifer of Jodhpur-Nagaur districts capable of yielding moderate to high discharge of potable ground water for drinking and irrigation, which was not earlier identified as potential aquifer by GSI, ETO & ONGC. He also located new potential aquifers along Indo-Pak border for Border Road Organization which are now the sites of Army cantonments. His company has been accredited by QCI-NABET as Groundwater Consultant Organization effective from 3rd December, 2020.
