By Michael Shylla
Krem Puri is the longest sandstone cave found and discovered by cavers and researchers. The cave is located near Laitsohum village of Mawsynram and has a length of 24.5km, which is three times the height of Mount Everest. The system has fossils of dinosaurs, especially mosasaurs, giant reptiles that lived 66-76 million years ago.
At present, living creatures such as reptiles and giant spiders are found inside the cave. The spiders are similar to the Giant Nelson Cave Spider found in the caves of New Zealand having a leg span of 13cm or more. The beautiful natural 30-foot long rock shed (rock shed’s roof) which provides shelter and resting place to visitors is worth seeing. This rock shed roof also protects erosion of earth and landslides from falling on the route to the cave.
But the present site is in a sorry state of affairs.
The path towards the cave is steep and rugged. The steps and railings made from wood and tree branches are in a dilapidated state as seen in the photograph (bottom left). Volunteers can be seen sitting ouside the cave in a makeshift tent and waiting for collection of entry fees from visitors and tourists and deputation of volunteers as guides along with the visitors to the cave.
One of the volunteers namely Chesterfield Kharsyntiew said that their daily earnings depend on the number of visitors to the cave.
Sometimes due to low turnout of tourists, they get as low as one or two hundred rupees per day.
The Laitsohum Tourism Society, which is the present caretaker of the cave, is not in a position to carry out maintenance and development of the area due to unresolved issues like ownership of the cave. The government must look into the matter and take initiative to settle the cases so that the ownership is rested on a recognised body.
The Meghalaya government after thorough planning can grant funds to this body for the development of the cave and the village as well. It is also known that the Government of India has earmarked a substantial budget for the tourism sector in Meghalaya.
By developing the site and providing electricity inside the cave will
give smooth access to visitors and researchers.
The village of Laitsohum is blessed and gifted with such a wonderful and magnificent natural abundance. It is the responsibility of the villagers to ensure that the place is developed so that the very purpose of having a world-famous site is not withered.
(The author is former director of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting)