Vizag's geo-heritage Red Hills suffering from utter neglect
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VISAKHAPATNAM: After letting several manmade heritage sites run to seed
and demolishing others like the Kurupam Market Tower, it is now the
turn of natural sites like Erra Matti Dibbalu or Red Sand Hills to face a grave threat due to the negligent attitude of the authorities concerned.
The rare marine geological formation near Bheemili dating back to the Holocene period (approximately 12,000 years ago) is one of the three such heritage geological sites existing in South-East Asia (besides the ones in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka).
Unfortunately, the site seems to have become more of a dumping ground that's sinking under heaps of plastic and liquor bottles as neither the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) nor the AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) have bothered to work on preserving the site despite local NGOs approaching the GVMC for garbage clearance.
Already the Red Sand Hills of RK Beach, extending from the Kali Temple to Yoga Village, have ceased to exist due to the onslaught of urbanisation and the Bheemili site is the only one that exists in the country. Santosh P, founder president of NGO Ken Foundation Society, said, "It's high-time we protect the geologically significant late quaternary coastal Red Sand Dunes (Erramatti Dibbalu). Especially during and after the picnic season, it's littered with plastic and paper plates, water sachets as well as plastic and glass liquor bottles. But when we approached GVMC with the request to send a vehicle to collect the garbage, they shrugged off the responsibility. Nobody wants to come forward to take responsibility of preserving the geological heritage site. Therefore, members of our organisation are volunteering to launch 'Operation Red Hills' on January 5, 2014 to make the area garbage-free."
Explaining the significance of the Red Sand Hills, P Jagannadha Rao, professor of geology at Andhra University and director of Delta Studies Institute, said, "These geo-morphological formations, consisting of a mixture of sand (40-50%), silt and clay (another 50%) were formed when ancient sand moulds were blown from the beach to the land. They were formed around 12,000 years ago during the Holocene Period. They indicate sea level oscillations and the extent to which the sea level has receded from the land."
"Already, due to construction of apartments on R K Beach stretch, several Red Sedimentary or Sand Hills have disappeared. The only site at present is near Bheemunipatnam. Thankfully, due to the presence of INS Kalinga close by, land grabbers couldn't yet take over the area and commence construction," he added.
This rare natural wonder that took centuries to form extends over almost 100 acres and is 20-30 metres in height. Since most Vizagites are unaware of the amazing and endless row of beautiful and towering red soil hills amidst green shrubs and are taking no measures to preserve them, Professor Rao suggested that the natural heritage site be transformed into a geological field museum, with provision for protection and security by trained guides, which would be both of educational as well as tourist interest.
While APTDC officials passed the buck on to the district tourism department, tourism information officer S D Anitha said, "Right now there are no plans to develop the area as it comes under a sensitive zone and certain issues are involved with it."
Though the primary responsibility of the keeping the site clean rests with the GVMC, in which the Bheemili municipality was merged earlier this year, when GVMC authorities were contacted on the clearance of garbage from Erra Matti Dibbalu, zonal commissioner Ram Mohan Rao said, "The site
area comes under the village panchayat of Kapulauppada and Chepaluppada of Bheemunipatnam. We are not responsible for its maintenance."
The rare marine geological formation near Bheemili dating back to the Holocene period (approximately 12,000 years ago) is one of the three such heritage geological sites existing in South-East Asia (besides the ones in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka).
Unfortunately, the site seems to have become more of a dumping ground that's sinking under heaps of plastic and liquor bottles as neither the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) nor the AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) have bothered to work on preserving the site despite local NGOs approaching the GVMC for garbage clearance.
Already the Red Sand Hills of RK Beach, extending from the Kali Temple to Yoga Village, have ceased to exist due to the onslaught of urbanisation and the Bheemili site is the only one that exists in the country. Santosh P, founder president of NGO Ken Foundation Society, said, "It's high-time we protect the geologically significant late quaternary coastal Red Sand Dunes (Erramatti Dibbalu). Especially during and after the picnic season, it's littered with plastic and paper plates, water sachets as well as plastic and glass liquor bottles. But when we approached GVMC with the request to send a vehicle to collect the garbage, they shrugged off the responsibility. Nobody wants to come forward to take responsibility of preserving the geological heritage site. Therefore, members of our organisation are volunteering to launch 'Operation Red Hills' on January 5, 2014 to make the area garbage-free."
Explaining the significance of the Red Sand Hills, P Jagannadha Rao, professor of geology at Andhra University and director of Delta Studies Institute, said, "These geo-morphological formations, consisting of a mixture of sand (40-50%), silt and clay (another 50%) were formed when ancient sand moulds were blown from the beach to the land. They were formed around 12,000 years ago during the Holocene Period. They indicate sea level oscillations and the extent to which the sea level has receded from the land."
"Already, due to construction of apartments on R K Beach stretch, several Red Sedimentary or Sand Hills have disappeared. The only site at present is near Bheemunipatnam. Thankfully, due to the presence of INS Kalinga close by, land grabbers couldn't yet take over the area and commence construction," he added.
This rare natural wonder that took centuries to form extends over almost 100 acres and is 20-30 metres in height. Since most Vizagites are unaware of the amazing and endless row of beautiful and towering red soil hills amidst green shrubs and are taking no measures to preserve them, Professor Rao suggested that the natural heritage site be transformed into a geological field museum, with provision for protection and security by trained guides, which would be both of educational as well as tourist interest.
While APTDC officials passed the buck on to the district tourism department, tourism information officer S D Anitha said, "Right now there are no plans to develop the area as it comes under a sensitive zone and certain issues are involved with it."
Though the primary responsibility of the keeping the site clean rests with the GVMC, in which the Bheemili municipality was merged earlier this year, when GVMC authorities were contacted on the clearance of garbage from Erra Matti Dibbalu, zonal commissioner Ram Mohan Rao said, "The site
area comes under the village panchayat of Kapulauppada and Chepaluppada of Bheemunipatnam. We are not responsible for its maintenance."
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