India does not have a single geological heritage park, while China has 27 listed in the 100 geo-heritage parks that are recognised by the UNESCO across the globe, says D. Rajasekhar Reddy, Advisor to Geo Heritage Cell of INTACH and former professor of Geology, Andhra University.
“It is not that there is no geological heritage site in India, there are plenty still present, despite rampant destruction and disregard, but there is no mechanism in place to recognise and protect them,” he said.
“In Visakhapatnam district itself we have three major sites - the Erramatti Dibbalu, Borra Caves, and Araku Valley -- and in the State we have Silathoranam in Tirupati and Mangampeta barite deposit in Kadapa district. But none is recognised or protected,” he points out.
According to him, there is an immediate requirement of a law to protect the sites, a ministry be given the responsibility to recognise, value the sites, protect and conserve and convert the sites into geo-heritage parks.
In 2013, INTACH drafted a law and it has been pending with the Centre since then. To take things forward, INTACH started the Geo-Heritage Cell in 2014.
Main componentsGiving details on geo-heritage parks, Prof. Reddy has said that the main components will be geo-diversity, geo-culture and geo-tourism and education.
“Eastern Ghats is about 1,800 million years old and it encompasses a number of things that has archaeological and anthropological values. It also has a rich and ancient tribal culture. To protect all these things, pockets should be identified as per their value and converted into parks,” says Prof. Reddy. .
In 1993 UNESCO took the services of International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) to recognise geo-heritage sites world over, and about 370 sites were identified. But it was only in 2001 that UNESCO decided to start the geo-heritage park concept to involve all stake- holders including the society to protect and conserve the sites. “And that is why we need to start the park concept to protect the sites,” says Prof. Reddy.