Dr.Dinesh
Lime stone cave of Baratang takes about 90 minutes by boat from Baratang jetty through the exotic mangroves, (more high powered fibre boats which takes about 20 minutes will be an added advantage for the tourists if the administration can provide during the peak season as the tourists have to wait in the jetty for a longer duration) and a walk about a 1.20 kms to reach the cave through the village with tropical rain forests, bamboo plants which gives a continuous shade through out along the path & the path is almost sandy with little ups and downs even aged people doesn’t find it difficult, with sits outs at many locations for the old people to relax under the tress. Just before reaching the cave there is temporary sheds constructed by localites who serve lime juice in mineral water in disposable tumblers and cut cucumber sprinkled with salt and chilly powder, no tea or coffee is served. A thing to be learnt from them as it’s so hygienic. It is a polythene free zone; one can quench your thirst and proceed or come back and relax.
Limestone cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. Limestone dissolves under the action of rainwater and ground water charged with carbonic acid and naturally occurring acids the dissolution process produces a distinctive landform characterised by sink hole. The baratang limestone cave has a sink hole and is adorned with calcium carbonate formations produced through slow precipitation. These include stalactites, stalagmites, helicitites and columns. Now a days people from all over the world visit the baratang cave, many cavers has the habit to touch or hold on to everything in his or her surrounding, often because having a hold for hand gives the idea of being more stable on your feet, especially in the slippery cave environment, most of the time stalagmites they offer perfect handhold , but sometimes they even do it deliberately or where one of them is touching a nice formation or worse trying to stand on top of it for a nice photograph, this is by sheer ignorance or stupidity. Stay and admire them from a safe distance, if possible near to concretion move more slowly, nobody has the right to dirty or break a formation just to satisfy his own curiosity.
Sign boards stating “Don’t touch formations” “stay and admire them from a safe distance” should be prominently displayed at the entrance of the cave, as this formation takes years and years. Making inscriptions or graffiti on cave walls should be discouraged as it is an act of vandalism.
White LED lights should be put along the side instead of using emergency lamp by the tour guides of lime stone cave of Baratang as there is total darkness at the end point, moreover it is safe for ladies and children as this cave has a narrow passage.
It is extremely important that all cavers start caring about our limestone cave of Baratang and start to educate visitors through tourist guides to good caving manners before they begin to enter, this will preserve the formations.
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