Four natural caves of Meghalaya are destroyed

In News

Due to the limestone mining natural caves of the Jaintia hills, cement companies are destroying the majestic caves of Meghalaya.

About

• If the mining activity continued in this manner then soon Meghalaya may disappear from the world cave exploration map.
• Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya) is known across the world for a large number of natural caves.
• Out of 1580 caves, 980 caves have been partially or fully explored.
• Krem Malo, Krem Umkseh, Krem Umkhang-Kharasniang and Krem Umlawan caves are fully destroyed by the mining activity of cement companies.
• Krem Malo, one of the finest caves had impressive vertical entrance. Its fossil passage was decorated with creation of stalagmites, stalactites, columns, popcorn, cave-pearls and gypsum flowers. The cave was filled with debris that has blocked the entrance of the cave causing irreparable damage to the cave fauna.
• Krem Umkseh was used as a washing place by the tribals from centuries. The 1,268 metre long cave has been fully destroyed.
• Same damage was done to the beautiful cave of Krem Umkhang-Kharasniang. The large doorway gallery of the cave system opens on to the ‘Porcupine Series’ with roomy and dry phreatic passages and very polished floor and walls. The Umkhang part of the cave is attached to the Kharasniang part through a lengthy and torturous crawl and squeeze name ‘The Royal Challenge’. The cave has four entrances those are very well decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone and botryoidal stal.
• Krem Umlawan is a part of the Krem Kotsati-Umlawan cave system that has 24 entrances. Krem Umlawan’s main passage runs beneath Krem Kharasniang and KremUmkseh. The cave is exceptionally adorned with layers of gypsum crystals, stalactites and stalagmites. Cluster of black gypsum crystals of world class importance were accompanied by orange and grey limestone walls.
• Lukha river system was polluted due to cement mining. The cement companies have been illegally mining the caves without getting mandatory environmental clearance, forest clearance, wildlife clearance and non-renewal of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from Meghalaya Pollution Control Board.