30-Mar-2022: Geological Heritage Sites of Himalayan Region of India
Geological Survey of India (GSI) has identified two geological heritage sites in the Indian Himalayan Region of India. The details of the two sites identified by GSI in the Himalayan Region are as follows:
|
State |
Name of the site |
Location |
Brief description of the site |
|
Himachal Pradesh |
Siwalik Fossil Park, |
Saketi, Sirmour District |
The Siwalik Fossil park displays a rich collection of vertebrate fossils recovered from the Siwalik rocks of the area of Plio-Pleistocene age. The deposition of Siwalik sediments took place in the narrow linear depression, called the 'fore deep', which started developing in front of the Himalayas since the inception of its uplift in the middle Miocene |
|
Sikkim |
Stromatolite bearing Dolomite/Limestone of Buxa Formation |
Mamley, near Namchi, South District |
The Geo-heritage site at Mamley exposes litho units of Buxa Formation, Daling Group of Proterozoic age. The dolostones are profusely stromatolitic (Precambrian algal structures). This site provides one of the rare examples of early life in Sikkim Himalaya. |
These two geological heritage sites of Indian Himalayan region are not on the verge of disappearance. These sites are preserved in the respective States.
Ministry of Mines has approached Ministry of Culture to explore the possibility of inclusion of Geological Heritage sites declared by GSI, under the purview of existing Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 (amended in 2010), by making suitable amendment in the Act.