Belum Caves Get Geo Heritage Status, To Boost Tourist Footfalls
Declared a protected site in 1988, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) developed the caves and opened them to the public in 2002: Reports
KURNOOL: Belum Caves in Nandyal district have received the Geo Heritage Site status, which is expected to significantly increase both domestic and international tourist footfalls in the region.
Belum Caves become the seventh site in Andhra Pradesh to receive the prestigious recognition. Geo heritage sites are of rare and unique geological, geomorphological, paleontological and stratigraphic significance.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) recognises, declares and maintains such sites in India based on proposals submitted by the respective state governments. India currently has 35 such sites.
Belum Caves are believed to be nearly 10 million years old, formed due to flow of an ancient tributary of the Chitravathi River that flowed underground, gradually eroding limestone and creating the extensive network of chambers. Scientists from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad, who studied the caves for over a decade, have confirmed the site’s extraordinary geological prominence.
Excavations at Belum have unearthed clay vessels estimated to date back to around 4500 B.C., confirming prehistoric human habitation.
British geologist Robert Bruce Foote first brought the caves into records in 1884. They remained largely undocumented until German speleologist Herbert Daniel Gebauer conducted extensive mapping in the 1980s, documenting nearly 3.5 kilometres of passages.
Currently, 1.5 km portion of the caves is open to visitors, with depths ranging from 10 metres at the entrance to 29 meters at the deepest point. Declared a protected site in 1988, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) developed the caves and opened them to the public in 2002.
The tourism department plans to enhance connectivity, upgrade amenities and intensify publicity campaigns to attract foreign visitors and showcase the geological and cultural significance of the site.