BSIP sets up centre for geoheritage

Lucknow, June 30 The Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) in Lucknow has set up a first-ever centre for promotion of geoheritage and geotourism in the country that would help in conservation of unexplored natural sites that have the potential to be developed as global geoparks.

The centre will provide information about sites that have the potential to be developed as global geoparks of India to various stakeholders.

It will provide consultancy, expertise and recognition of such sites and develop them as per Unesco standards.

“People must know their natural heritage, their importance and the need to conserve them. Sustainable development of our geological heritage is the promotion of geotourism where the common man will be benefitted at large,” said BSIP Prof Nitin R. Karmalkar.

Some of such unexplored geo heritage sites are Janki Kund in Chitrakoot that apparently has 2,000 million-year-old blue-green algae stromatolites (living fossils and the oldest living lifeforms on our planet) and a dancing rock in Lalitpur.

BSIP director Vandana Prasad said: “India is blessed with great geological heritage and a large number are globally recognised. We need to understand that development should not hamper our geological heritage and we must conserve them.”

She said geological heritage and geotourism are still lesser-known terms in India, whereas globally they are being promoted by Unesco.

“The conservation of these geological heritage is important as it is a non-renewable natural resource and once destroyed, cannot be rebuilt. As such, geo conservation is considered an emerging discipline within geosciences,” she said.

Former deputy director general of Geological Survey of India, Satish Tripathi said: “Conservation of geological heritage in a sustainable way is promoting geotourism. If we develop tourism, the local community will be greatly benefitted because their participation in the geopark administration is made mandatory by Unesco. Local food, culture and history are also promoted in the concept of geopark.”

He said just like ODOP scheme of the Uttar Pradesh government, each district should nominate one geoheritage site as their emblem.

“This way we will be able to conserve our geological heritage. The dancing rock of Latitpur must be protected,” he said.

BSIP scientist Swati Tripathi said: “Uttar Pradesh is geologically very important. The stromatolite fossils of Sonbhadra and Chitrakoot are very significant because these 2,000-million-year-old blue green algae actually consumed carbon dioxide of the atmosphere and released oxygen because of which life thrived.”

She said Chitrakoot is potential Unesco Geopark as it is only place in Central India where Vindhyan rocks resting over Bundelkhand granite basement.