C’garh: Experts Divided Over Opening Of Rare Green Cave For Public

While a section of scientists is opposed to opening the cave for the public to promote tourism, fearing that such a move will damage its ecosystem irreversibly, a renowned cave scientist of India dismissed such apprehensions, saying that it may be immune to such threats because of its wide mouth.

Prof Mahesh G. Thakkar, Director of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleo-sciences, Lucknow, cautioned that such cave systems are very fragile, functioning as close and stable systems where even minor disturbances can cause irreversible damages.

Such a cave system survives only under specific natural conditions, including limited daily exposure to sunlight, constant temperature, very high humidity and low nutrient availability.

Physical contacts with the wall, even unintentionally, by the visitors can destroy the microbial mats and biofilms that took thousands of years to develop.

He warned that opening the cave for tourism without conducting an environment impact assessment study may harm the cave’s ecosystem.

Green Cave is a part of the famous Kotumsar cave, a major part of which has so far remained unexplored.

Out of around 27 explored caves in the national park, Green Cave is the only cave which receives sunlight, that too in the afternoon and just for one hour.

The cave’s walls and interior portions are layered with algae, giving a texture of silky green.

Former Prof of Bioscience and Dean, Life Sciences Department, Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, Atanu Kumar Pati strongly backed Prof Thakkar suggesting that unique cave systems, bestowed with rich biodiversity, in the country should be reserved only for the scientific community for research purpose and the other caves which is not rich in biodiversity should be opened for public to promote tourism.

Dr Pati cited the damages done to the Kutumsar Cave by the tourists, leading to destruction of many organisms inside the cave, a case in point.

He said the tourists who are unaware of the delicate ecosystem of the cave often unintentionally kill many organisms by walking over them.

Renowned cave expert Dr Jayant Biswas however dismissed the apprehension of any kind of threat to the ecosystem of the Green Cave, if opened to tourism, saying that “The fear of exploitation of caves due to anthropogenic pressure is more in such caves that are mostly encapsulated. Green Cave is connected to the outer atmosphere through a wide opening, so no question arises about its contamination”.