Jharkhand’s First Fossil Park Aims At Sustainability And Eco-Tourism

To conserve the remains of the Jurassic era, Jharkhand opens its first fossil park in Rajmahal Hills. The hill is 193 km away from Sahibganj in Jharkhand to Rampurhat in West Bengal. With an aim to make the park sustainable the entire area is built as an eco-tourism complex. Along with this, the authorities have decided to mandate only battery-operated auto-rickshaws be allowed in the region. By avoiding private vehicles, the state is not just protecting the environment but is also generating revenue for locals too.

These fossil remains are estimated to be about 145-200 million years old. The new 95-acre fossil park is open to the public along with a museum, an auditorium, a study area for students and researchers, and a mini-laboratory. Chief Minister of Jharkhand – Hemant Soren, recently inaugurated the opening of the fossil park.

The cost for the construction of Mandro park is Rs 10.75 crore. The fossil park has also been classified as a geo-heritage site by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). The main aim behind the construction of the park is to raise awareness regarding the conservation of historical relics and promoting eco-tourism.

With the help of technology, the auditorium will have an audio-visual display of the evolution of plants, fossils, the solar system and a lot more. Fossils of different kinds will be shown in 3D format.

According to reports, Soren said,” This is one of the biggest treasure troves we have in Jharkhand. Mandro hill is one of the rarest places in the world with such fossil finds.” Manish Tiwari, Sahibganj’s divisional forest officer said, as per reports," Rajmahal Hills in the Santhal Paraganas is believed to be a treasure trove of fossils dating back to the Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous era. The area has the finest plant fossils. But at the same time, due to lack of awareness among locals here, several fossils got damaged. Now, er can conserve the historical heritages at this park here.”

As per reports, further studies and research on the fossils will be done by the Sidhu-Kanhu University in Dumka. This will be done in collaboration with the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeoscience, Uttar Pradesh.