RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has decided to open the rare and ecologically sensitive ‘Green Cave’ in Kanger Valley National Park in the once Maoist-affected Bastar district to tourists, a move that has drawn strong objections from scientists and experts.
With Maoist activity in the region having significantly declined, the state is exploring ways to place more sites from Bastar on the national and international tourism map, viewing the Green Cave as a potential attraction.
“The cave’s inclusion would boost local employment opportunities and accelerate regional development. It will add a new dimension to tourism in the valley,” State Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap said.
The naturally formed Green Cave, located in the Kotumsar area, has evolved over thousands to millions of years through geological and hydrological processes.
Experts said it survives only under highly specific natural conditions, including brief daily exposure to sunlight, constant temperature, very high humidity and low nutrient availability.
Scientists cautioned that such cave ecosystems are among the most fragile in the world, functioning as closed and stable systems where even minor disturbances can cause irreversible damage. “Increased dust, noise, vibration and altered humidity due to tourist footfall can lead to both immediate and long-term impacts on the cave environment,” said Prof Mahesh G. Thakkar, Director of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow.
Nitin Singhvi, an environmental enthusiast, has lodged a complaint with the Additional Chief Secretary (Forest), warning that tourism would introduce excess carbon dioxide, heat, moisture, dust and vibration, altering the cave’sinternal chemistry and damaging its green microbial layers.