BHUBANESWAR/BARBIL : The pillow lava formations at Nomira village in Keonjhar, a lesser-known geological wonder of the country dating back to over 2.5 billion years, may soon gain popularity as a prominent geo-tourism spot.
With the Ministry of Mines coming up with the draft ‘Geo-heritage sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and maintenance) bill 2022’ recently, the proposed legislation, if adopted, could equip Geological Survey of India (GSI) protect the geological sites of national importance including the pillow lava at Nomira in a better way. It would be able to conduct further geological studies, education, research and spread awareness them among people about such sites.
The lava formation site, a rarity in the world and one of the only two such geological wonders in the country, the other being at Maradhi in Karnataka, is among the 90 geo-heritage sites identified by the GSI so far. According to experts, the volcanic rock appearing as small buns - or pillows - formed few billion years back when the hot basaltic magma erupted slowly under water and solidified quickly. GSI officials said such formations indicate a lot about the geological evolution and significance of the region.
The finding shows Nomira village and the entire horse-shoe shaped iron and manganese ore belt in Joda-Barbil region were covered under sea water. With the passage of time, the sea water might have subsided and iron ores formed on the account of complex geological mutations.
Two British geologists are said to have found the geological wonder at Nomira in 1942. However, the nondescript village caught attention of the nation after GSI declared the site as a National Geological Monument in 1976.
“Such lava formations are rarely seen. Once developed as a geo-tourism site, it will attract a lot of visitors including students who will get an exposure to such geological wonders. It will also attract geological scientists and researchers from India and abroad,” said geologist Himansu Ranjan Patra.
While in previous studies by geologist and petrologists between 1942 to 1967 had calculated the pillow lava formation at the site to be in the range of 2.5 to 2.8 billion years old, Patra said, further studies could help find a more accurate range and their process of formation.
The agency with the help of Tata Iron and Steel installed a marble plaque at the site. However, little was done for tourism promotion and research activities at the site after it was declared as a designated geological monument. Development activities in close proximity of the site over the decades led to apprehension of its desolation. However, the draft bill, GSI officials said, has infused fresh hope for preservation and maintenance of the site located within Keonjhar forest division.
An awareness programme on the site was also organised by GSI and Keonjhar forest division recently. Deputy Director General of GSI, SC Mitra and Odisha unit head KK Naik, Keonjhar DFO Dhamdhere Dhanraj Hanumant attended the programme.
Keonjhar DFO said the proposed legislation is expected to enable GSI to regulate construction activities 200 metre area of the geological heritage. The pillow lava, a window to the earth’s core, could reveal more details about the geological, mineralogy significance of the site if studied further, Hanumant said.