Uttarakhand plans to start a cave tourism circuit in Gangolihat, Pithoragarh, after discovering a set of nine underground caves in September. These caves are located in Sailiswar, Gupta Ganga, Vrihad Tung, Mukteshwar, Daneswar, and Mailchaura areas.
After surveying, scientists from the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC) said the caves were probably a thousand years old. They are up to 50 m tall, multi-layered, and contain multiple room-like blocks.
The areas will be geotagged in November, revealing more details. USAC will protect these natural heritage sites before they are opened up for tourism. Having received the central government’s nod, these can generate good income from tourism.
The caves are a part of the diverse karst landscape that creates sinking streams, springs, sinkholes, caves, and other features, building a rare ecosystem supporting ecological diversity both below and above the ground.
This would be another feather on Uttarakhand’s cap, opening up a world of cave adventures for tourists.
(Source: TOI)
