Mass tourism shouldn't be encouraged in Borra Caves, say experts

Visakhapatnam: The decision of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) to go for a facelift for the Borra Caves in Ananthgiri Mandal near Araku has drawn flak from geologists and environmentalists. According to experts and environment lovers, rare geological formations like the Borra Cave can get damaged due to high footfall tourism as is being planned by APTDC.
Recently, with the aim of encouraging mass tourism, the APTDC has announced illumination of the cave along with a makeover. Similar steps are being planned for the other tourist places in the Agency areas.
Heritage and environment activist Sohan Hatangadi pointed out ever since APTDC took up the site, lakhs of visitors have ruined the fragile natural formations inside. "Stalactites and stalagmites have been touched by so many hands that they have disappeared in many places. Thousands of visitors who think that this is a place for amusement, clamber all over to take photographs and etch their names on the beautiful formations that took a million years to form. The local tribal guides sit around doing nothing about the vandalism. Instead of talking geology, the guides only talk about movies shot there or about some imaginary religious structures and statues. All this is a boorish unscientific promotion of a site not meant for mass tourism. They have ruined a place of immense beauty by opening the natural heritage site to mass tourism and not taking the responsibility to protect the cave."
"In the 1990s, when the tourism minister at that time visited the cave, she was offended by the natural smell. Immediately, enthusiastic tourism officials filled the cave with white bleaching powder to suppress the smell. That is the extent of environment protection knowledge that our officials have!" added an irate Hatangadi.
According to geology experts, the rocks of the Borra Caves were made of crystalline limestone. These are old calc granulite rocks but the cave formation is not very old (Tertiary Period) and happened due to rainwater solution activity or rainwater entering through the cracks and fractures of limestone and widening the fractures. The process continued for millions of years forming a hall-like cave beneath. As rain water deposited on the floor or trickled down from the roof, they developed into stalagmites and stalactites respectively.
Professor of Geology at Andhra University P Jagannadha Rao said, "These caves are already susceptible for collapse in limestone terrain causing sink holes and a heavy flow of visitors, with people writing, touching the geological structure, impact of flashlights, photographs all these can definitely speed up the collapsing process."
Already, owing to the rail-line above and daily passage of Kirandul Passenger, the fragile cave has weakened and in August 2013, some boulders had fallen from the caves. From time to time, this falling of boulders and stones has taken place after the train had passed owing to vibration impact. "Therefore, a loop in the railway line is needed to divert the train from passing above the cave daily besides restricting mass tourism, film shooting and use of bright lights in the cave. Scientifically trained geological guides are also required who can tell the visitors about the factual details rather than only talking about mythology," averred Prof Rao.