Caves: Our Natural Heritage By H H Mohrmen It was the online voting organized by the European Expedition Symposium which made me realize the importance of caves in Meghalaya in the international forum. Meghalaya annual caving expeditions figure in the list of the four major expeditions nominated for the competition. The list includes recent explorations of the Northern Lao-European Cave Project, Explorations with the Speleoclub Berlin in Vietnam, Polish Exploration in Hubei Province, China and last but not the least Caving in the abode of the clouds 2014 – Meghalaya, India. The main objective of the European Expedition Symposium is to promote international expeditions conducted by European cavers and to make known those taking part and the results of their efforts. The symposium aims to be a formal competition, to help understand the complexity of an expedition and to recognize efforts by those taking part with the presentation of suitable awards. The online voting which was from August 1st, 2014 and concluded on August 21st, 2014 saw Meghalaya rank second only to recent explorations of the Northern Lao-European Cave Project This turn of events made me ask myself that if our caves are popular in the world of cave exploration how many of us know about the natural heritage that nature has blessed our land with? Meghalaya has the largest concentration of caves in the region and this fact remained buried until the Meghalaya Adventures’ Association came to the picture. Before MAA was established the most popular caves or rather the only known caves in the Meghalaya are the Mawsmai caves in Sohra area, the Syndai cave in Syndai village and the Siju caves in the Garo hills district. Under the aegis of the Association and the able leadership of Bryan Kharpran Daly, MAA started caving expeditions titled “caving in the abode of clouds” in the year 1992. Initially it was a small beginning but a beginning was made. Since then MAA has organized more than 20 such annual caving expeditions in different parts of the state. The expeditions were held in areas like Lumchnong in the Narpuh eleka, Shnongrim under the eleka Nongkhlieh in the East Jaintia hills District and Kharkhana village at eleka Satpator which falls under the West Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya. In the Lumchnong area the cavers were able to survey and map which was until then the longest cave in the region; – krem Kotsati-Umlawan cave system which is more that 20 KM long, but later in the expedition conducted in the Nongkhlieh area MAA was able to find caves much longer and much deeper than the cave previously located in Narpuh eleka. Later expeditions discovered much longer, deeper and much more exotic caves in different part of Meghalaya in general and Jaintia hills in particular. The cavers comprising those from within the country and those from abroad, particularly Europeans, has been able to locate more than 1300 caves and explore about 825 caves. In Meghalaya alone the team of cavers has surveyed and mapped 377 kilometers of caves (Simon Brooks, 2012) and this is by no means a small feat. This was achieved by doing hundreds of hours of underground surveying and mapping of caves, and the same amount of time was spent in putting all the information and data collected in proper documentation for posterity. Part of the expedition is also to survey the subterranean ecology of Meghalaya which is rich in cave biodiversity. Subterranean is the study of cavernicoles, often bizarre and elusive inhabitants of caves and other underground inhabitants. (Dan Harries and Fiona Ware, 2012). Over the years cavers have gathered such observation from numerous caves in Meghalaya (Harries et al., 2008) various moths and flies that are commonly found roosting on cave walls just inside the entrance. But the presence of these animals can also attract predators like geckos and scorpions that have sometimes been reported from caves entrance. The common predators found in the caves are the large active Heteropoda spiders these spiders (Harries and Ware, 2012), in the western part of the state (Garo and Khasi Hills) the dominant spider is Heteropoda robusta whereas in the eastern part (Jaintia Hills) the slightly smaller Heteropoda fischeri (Jager, 2005). Crickets are found in the cave because they also serve as prey to the Heteropoda spiders. Fishes and other aquatic animals like shrimps and crabs are found in the lower levels; the pools and stream ways of the cave. Cavers also found animals such as millipedes and cockroaches in drier passages. Other animals found in the stream ways including aquatic snails, earthworms in mud or sandbank and large predatory centipedes and fresh water crabs were also often found in the stream ways. Shrimp are also found in abundant and can be found wherever there is available water and a more robust dark coloured shrimp with large eye (M. Hendersoni) is common in caves in Western Meghalaya but are rare or absent in the east. Apart from Bats, flies and swift-lets the cavers also found that there are instances of higher vertebrates using the caves on a regular basis. There are 60 bats species recorded in Meghalaya, compared to the list of 117 Indian bat species (published by Talmale and Pradhan in 2009), two species were found in Jaintia hills that were unrecorded in India. One species, Murina Jaintiana, is new to science while Rhinolophus siamensis was recorded in neighbouring country but never in India. Leaders of the expedition in Meghalaya found that Biospeleological investigations in Meghalaya have aroused the interest of world renowned arachnologist over recent years. The recent discovery of a large cave dwelling tarantula clearly shows that Meghalayan caves have potential to provide further biological surprises. Apart from the Biospeleological finding in the caves in Meghalaya, the formations in the different caves are also beautiful and exotic in their own ways. There were river passages that one can do rafting inside the cave and there are also chambers which are so huge almost like an auditorium. Apart from the typical stalactites and stalagmites there are also beautiful formation which looks like a huge bathing tub and there are formation which looks like flowers and many other formations which are unique and beautiful. It is perhaps important to note that as per records as on March 1st, 2006, in the list of the 20 longest caves in India 19 longest caves in the country are found in Meghalaya and most of them are located in Jaintia hills. The longest cave in India is Krem Liat Prah-Um Im- Labit system which 22, 203 metres long, the second lonest cave is the Krem Kotsati –Umlawan system which is 21, 530 metres long and krem Synrang Pamiang the length of which is 14, 157 metres is the third longest cave in India. In the list of 20 deepest caves in India also 19 deepest caves in the country are found in Meghalaya, krem Synrang Pamiang with a depth of 317 metres in the deepest cave in India, followed by krem Synrang Ngap which is 222 metres deep and the third most deepest cave in India is krem Kotsati-Umlawan which has a depth of 215 metres. (Bryan Kharpran Daly 2006) All the three longest and deepest caves in India are found in Jaintia hills. Mother Nature has blessed the state with many of these beautiful caves which also play host to equally beautiful formations and unique live forms, but all this can vanish in a snap if mining in the state continues without regulation and if there is no efforts from the government to protect these exotic caves. We have seen the destruction that was done to the caves in the Narpuh area when the government allows the setting up of more than eight cement plants in the area. I think it is safe to say that the State has lost the caves in Lumchnong area under eleka Narpuh to cement plants, and one doubts if technically Krem Kotsati Umlawan is still the second longest cave in India. If the government does not do anything to protect these caves then the caves in Nongkhlieh area will also be destroyed by the limestone miners and before too long caves of Meghalaya will remain mere items in the history of the state. And if that happens we have only the MAA to thank for because the expeditions has at least surveyed, mapped and recorded cave biodiversity in the state. Let us hope good sense will prevail. Read more at theshillongtimes/2014/08/25/caves-our-natural-heritage/#RR5gVipR8cLJjbv1.99
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 05:26:00 +0000
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