Existing Laboratories and Facilities

The Department of Geography offers a wide range of infrastructural facilities to the students and the faculty.


1. Computer Laboratory (CL)

Currently, the Computer Laboratory is outfitted with about a dozen Pentiums. Deskjet printers, scanner, digitizer and a plotter are also available. A local area network (LAN) currently provides interconnections between a number of IBM-compatible PCs. Software available on the CL machines includes THEMAPS, SPANS, IDRISI, Photoshop, Corel Draw, and a variety of statistical spreadsheets, word processing, and presentation packages, as well as Web authoring tools.

2. Geomorphology and Soil Laboratory (GSL)

The Geomorphology and Soil Laboratory is equipped with traditional facilities for the analysis of both fine grained and coarse grained components of soils and sediments. For chemical analyses, the laboratory possesses equipment for soil and water pH measurements, specific conductivity and salinity measurements, colorimeter, a furnace for organic matter analyses of soils, electronic balances, microscopes, etc. In our mandatory geomorphology practical course the students learn and utilise these equipments.

3. Surveying and Cartographic Instruments

Surveying and mapping has been one of the most important components of the geography curriculum.
Equipments, allowing field surveys and mapping, include theodolites, dumpy levels plane tables, hand levels and electronic distance measurer and simple softwares. Students are trained to handle these equipments and use them in fieldwork and research.

4. Topographical Maps, Satellite Images and Aerial Photographs

Maps and atlases are the backbone of geography. The Department holds one of the best collections of SOI topographical maps. The Department has a good collection of aerial photographs and satellite imageries for teaching and research. In recent years, the Department has also developed image-processing facilities.

5. Weather Monitoring Station

This is perhaps the only geography department in the country that has a well established and well maintained
weather station with all the standard meteorological instruments for measuring temperature, rainfall, humidity,
evaporation, sunshine hours and wind speed. The weather station has been in operation for more than 10 years
and daily data are available in the electronic version also.

In a nutshell, the Department possesses a variety of teaching and research tools, facilities that are at the disposal of teachers and students and their use and application have been incorporated into the course structure.