Sikkim eyes geo-heritage park with discovery of 1.5 billion year old fossils at Mamley

SUDIP DHUNGEL

GANGTOK: Fossils older than the Himalayas itself were found in Sikkim's Mamley village in Namchi District in 2008. Despite the area being notified as one of the 32 geo heritage site in the country in 2014 by Geological Survey of India, not much attention was laid upon the geo heritage site.

On September 19, Chief Minister PS Golay acknowledged the discovery, wherein he stated in his social media, "Our government is committed to transforming this remarkable site into a world-class, cutting-edge fossil theme park under department of Mines & Geology. The park will offer an immersive experience with a captivating light and sound show narrating the history of our planet, a geological museum housing invaluable specimens, and exhibits showcasing index fossils from across the globe.”

“Similarly, we plan to develop a geopark village that will serve as a hub for researchers, scientists, and tourists alike, making Sikkim a destination of international significance in the fields of geology and paleontology".

Mamley village is 6 kilometres northeast of Namchi town with a population of 1079 people. Keeping the possibility of a stromatolite fossil park open, the State government has acquired 4.312 hectares of land. The government aims to convert the area as a fossil park as a hub for researchers and scientists, uncommon currently in the entire North Eastern region. It will also preserve rare evidence of early life and evolution. However, there are ongoing and proposed hydro power projects, road and tunnel construction and other developmental civil construction close to the area.

More such stromatolites bearing dolomites are observed in Tatopani, 20 km further upstream of the Rangit River. Tatopani at Reshi also called Phur Cha Chu is a hotspring, already popular as a tourist spots. At present the site is left untouched and chances of degradation of these priceless Geo heritage assets remain high.

Mines & Geology Secretary Dicky Yangzom stated, "We are happy that the discovery that was made in 2008 has finally been publicized and the whole area stretching almost 50 square kilometres can be developed as a geo park. For the geo park the people living in these areas will not be displaced, it is just a matter of conserving what is there. Much of it depends on the local people who want to go for geo tourism or a sustainable livelihood in these areas. There has to be awareness on this issue, together with tourism department we have to work on making it geo heritage tourism belt. This is new for us as well, together with the people we have to train on making it geo heritage park".

The fossil in contention is stromatolites, which are over 3.5 billion years old. The Meso-Neoproterozoic stromatolites have been well preserved in the Buxa Dolomite formation of Rangeet River Valley along the road from Tatopani to Reshi and Namchi town to Mamley village.

Stromatolites are structures formed by huge colonies of cyanobacteria, also called blue green algae which contributed to the formation of Earth's atmosphere including oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. The diameter of the stromatolites varies from 10 cm to 80 cm and transverse section is ellipsoidal in shape.

The circular structures on the Dolomite boulders located at Mamley village were first identified by Sikkim's Mines & Geology department with Professor VC Tewari of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun in 2007-08. It was proved that the Conophyton found in the Buxa Dolomite is about 1.5 billion years old.

Speaking on the discovery made, Keshar Luitel, Joint Director with State's Mines & Geology shared, "These are remnants of the first unicellular living organisms, which were preserved in the Meso-Neoproterozoic Dolomite of Buxa formation which is 1.5 billion years old. This is even older than the formation of Himalayas, which started forming some 35 million years ago. We believe these are remnants from the ancient Tethys Sea, which were trapped in the rocks after the formation of Himalayas".

He added, "These stromatolites could be spread across 20-40 square kilometres in area from Mamley village to Kholaghari and stretching as far as Reshi area in Geyzing District. There could be more than stromatolites in the area; it could have remnants of Tethys Sea including shallow marine condition like current bedding which are all preserved in the rocks and boulders. We believe in the entire area there could be more fossils. We need to do a detailed micro-level study under the guidance of Geologicial Survey of India".