Awareness on preservation of geological sites at Arwah
SOHRA: The Geological Survey of India, North Eastern Region (GSI NER) organised a geo-heritage walk from Mawsmai cave to Seven Sisters Falls viewpoint to create awareness on geological sites in the state on the occasion of International Fossils Day on Friday.
Prior to the geo-heritage walk, GSI NER officials and staff took the students from St. Anthony’s College and Synod College to the Arwah-Lumshynna cave, described by one of the senior GSI officials as a geologically interesting place.
The students, GSI officials and teachers took out a rally carrying placards which read, “Geology, rocks on fossils”, “Fossils are similar to photographs as they record our history”, “Geo-heritage sites: storehouse of life history”, “Fossil: the footprint of mother earth”, etc.
To highlight the significance of the geological sites in the state, GSI installed scientific display boards in some places and are in the process of installing more such boards.
The students visited the Arwah cave to get a glimpse of Palaeogene fossils. Inside the well- lighted cave, the students inspected Gastropod fossils and clusters of Gastropod fossils, ably assisted by the geologists. Curious students took a look around and posed some queries to the geologists as well.
The GSI has also put up sign boards to show the presence of different fossils. There are impressive formations which to a lay person’s eye would look like some inscriptions on stones.
Going further, a senior geologist showed a shell fossil, sticking out of rocks from the ceiling of the cave. Earlier in the day, the Deputy Director General and Head of Department, GSI NER, J. Rajeshwar spoke at a
function on the premises of Arwah cave and appealed for support from the locals to ensure a good working environment for the geologists while undertaking any work of significance.
Stating that the general public should be aware of the importance of fossils, he said, “There has to be support from locals for geological work to create good environment because we are facing some problem”.
Superintending geologist Debabhuti Mukherjee observed that in order to celebrate the International Fossils Day, the community should learn to appreciate the fossils and preserve them as remnants that chronicle the history of life and stressed, “Fossils are biological black boxes”.
Deputy Director General & RMH-IV Sabyasachi Shome emphasised on support from the state government and local administrative bodies to protect the natural heritage for geological purposes. Appealing for protection of the geo-heritage sites, he said, “Once it is destroyed, it cannot be recreated”.
Sohra BDO Alexander Mukhim urged the GSI to create awareness on the importance of preserving the fossils and recalled an incident when a group of labourers stumbled upon some fossils in Nongsteng village while digging up a road to construct a footpath.
The headman of Pdengshnong Arwah, Rapsing Liam, said the presence of fossils will add more beauty to the nature around Arwah and will attract more tourists to the cave.
Speaking to a section of reporters later, Debabhuti Mukherjee said the rocks in Arwah cave were 55 million years old and the cave has some specific kind of marine fossils which indicates the presence of a warm shallow sea there at that period.
Asked to comment on names being scribbled on rocks by miscreants, she said that the rocks and fossils found in Arwah cave are a wonder of nature. “If one has to see the fossils, there are very faint signatures. If people are destroying them by scribbling names on rocks, the fossils will be destroyed”.
Stating that people should appreciate the geological signatures, she said, “Through awareness programmes, we would want everybody to understand this and appreciate that fact that these are our natural heritage. Once, we know them we will be able to preserve them and if they are destroyed, this particular part of Meghalaya’s history will be destroyed”.