Union Ministry of Earth Sciences Secretary Madhavan Nair Rajeevan will inspect the 6.1-km cliff facing Varkala beach on Friday as part of finding a permanent solution to protect the sedimentary geo-morphological structure.
Dr. Rajeevan’s visit comes in the wake of a report submitted by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, to the Ministry of Earth Sciences through the Vision Varkala Infrastructure Development Corporation (VVIDC) for scientific and engineering solutions to protect the cliff. The Centre has suggested a ₹182 lakh project that includes creating a model on the lines of the one at Ullal in Kasaargod district and in adjacent Puducherry.
The Secretary, who is visiting the area at the initiative V. Joy, MLA, and A. Sampath, MP, will have a detailed inspection of the cliff and will hold discussions with Secretary, Finance, K. Sharmial Mary Joseph, District Collector K. Vasuki, and Managing Director of VVIDC V. Ramachandran Potti.
Earth has caved in and fissures developed at several spots atop the cliff bordering a 2.5-m wide pathway.
The move comes at a time when the 80-ft high red laterite cliff and the surrounding areas are on course of becoming the country’s first national geopark under a Geological Survey of India (GSI) initiative to preserve geologically important sites.
As the first step, the cliff will have to be declared a geological monument. Over time, the areas surrounding the geological monument will be declared a national geopark.
UNESCO tag
Varkala stands a chance to find a place in the UNESCO’s world map of geo-heritage sites and the VVIDC has been working to this end.
All the pre-conditions to make the cliff, which is facing threat from natural and anthropogenic hazards, a national geological monument have been met and the decision is pending with the Ministry of Mines. The GSI had found that Varkala is the only place in the west coast of the country where sediments in the Mio-Pliocene age (13 lakh to 2.5 crore years ago) had been exposed.
