Meghalayan Age or Age of Destruction!

Stalagmite sample from Mawmluh Cave

We are now officially living in the Meghalayan age, and this could also possibly be the “age of destruction” and an example is the Mawmluh Cave, which provided clues for this age, but is now under threat of being destroyed.

Select people are aware around the world that the bedrock for determining the age was laid by Prof. Ashish Sinha from the University of California, US in 2003.

When Prof. Sinha visited Meghalaya he took Stalagmite samples from Mawmluh cave near Sohra (Cherrapunjee) to the US for further studies as part of his research on the Indian Monsoon.

The samples provided the best chemical signatures how 4200 years back the Earth suddenly dried up owing to scant or no rainfall. The study was then carried forward by Prof. Sinha and other collaborating scientists and the results were published in 2012.

 

Mawmluh Cave entrance

Subsequently the International Commission on Stratigraphy named the age as “Meghalayan” after the place where the samples were taken from.

But here is the other part of the story. The Mawmluh Cave which provided vital signatures is under the Mawmluh Cheera Cements Limited and continued mining is destroying the Cave system. Not just Mawmluh, a large number of Caves in Meghalaya are under threat from illegal mining.

Inside Mawmluh Cave

Speaking over the phone from California, Prof. Sinha said, he has seen the  mining that's being carried out and destroying the Cave systems and the ecosystem therein.

“Countries around the world preserve Caves. Some Cave systems in different parts of the world are protected just like National Parks, Archeological sites and historical monuments. Caves are a storehouse of scientific data and a diverse ecosystem,” the scientist said.

He said that some of the different species that are being discovered in the caves could  possibly provide cure for diseases and advance research works. There are more reasons why the policy makers should protect these Caves and the environment.

Prof. Sinha says that across the globe it was found that rainfall pattern has become erratic due to “super-fast” climate change. “Of course there were climate changes through different ages in the present epoch (Greenlandian 11700 years that ended the ice age. Northgrippian, 8300 years ago, chilled the earth again.) But the rate at which climate change is taking place, mainly due to human interfernces now, is a matter of deep concern,” Prof. Sinha said.

Prof. Ashish SInha

In the previous ages, the climate changes were natural, but in Meghalayan age unprecedented human interventions and exploitation of Nature and its resources has accelerated climate change and destruction of the environment like the Mawmluh Cave.

Meanwhile, Prof. Sinha explained how the Stalagmites determined the present age. He said, rainwater dissolves Uranium in rocks and over time these are locked inside Stalagmites.

As Uranium decays, carbon dating Stalagmite samples makes it possible to date them. Then, Oxygen from rainwater found embedded in these stalagmites are analyzed. 

Two Oxygen Isotopes the lighter ¹⁶O and the heavier ¹⁸O are taken into consideration. The ratio of their distribution in the Stalagmites depends on the rainfall over the surface of the caves and therefore the amount of rainfall in a specific age is corelated.

Caves are the best places to get such samples as they remain hidden from the elements and therefore provide pristine samples. “The dating of the Mawmluh Stalagmites and determining the rainfall over the Caves over a period of 4200 years was similarly done,” Prof. Sinha said.

The Paleo-climatologist said the Mawmluh Cave which has helped embed Meghalaya’s name deep into Earth’s history for Epoch’s to come, needs more respect and must be ensured they aren't destroyed. (Eom)

MEGHALAYA CM'S OFFICE GOES GREEN

ST Photo

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s office has gone green with his chamber being made plastic free and all his stationary and letter heads coming from recycled paper.

Sangma a self proclaimed environmentalist earlier today walked six km from his residence at 3^rd Mile Upper Shillong to the State central Library to celebrate the World Environment Day.

“We have to focus on three Rs: Reuse, Recycle and Reduce. I have reduced my carbon footprint by saving at least three litre of petrol by walking today and we are also recycling paper,” he told the gathering which comprised of officials and school students.

He informed that in the past few months he have asked officials to make his chamber plastic free and it was done and now the next target is to get the Secretariat plastic free.

Under the plan all Government offices would be made plastic free, which Sangma said, would encourage others to follow. “We need to set example not just paste posters on such occasion like world environment day,” he said.

Moreover, he informed that all his stationary and letter head from today would come from recycled paper. The paper that goes to waste from the secretariat is being recycled for this purpose.  “I have also asked officials to power my office chamber from renewable energy be it solar or wind. This would be done in the next three months,” Sangma said.

The CM said that the whole of the Secretariat and Government offices and Government schools and colleges in the State would be powered with renewable energy like solar and wind in the near future.

“The Government offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, so the power that is generated could be sent back to the grid, which would help maybe light up a village for a day or two,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Government launched the “adopt one tree” programme in which each citizen would be encouraged to adopt a tree and nurture it. “We need to identify the tree that we have nurtured to full growth and the source from where we get our oxygen,” Sangma said.

Under the scheme, 17 lakh saplings would be distributed to people in the State through various departments. Moreover, the State Government has also decided to include in schools syllabus, Environment studies, so that children are drawn to environment protection and mitigation plans from a tender age.

TOUCHING FEET NOT SAME AS HUGGING: RAHUL GANDHI

Congress president, Rahul Gandhi today said that Prime Minister Modi “maintains a distance with poor people and therefore doesn’t hugs them,” even though he may well have touched the feet of poor persons.

“Touching feet and hugging are two different things. Hugging is a physical closeness. It’s a particular distance he (PM) maintains with poor people which he doesn’t maintain with Obama or others,” Rahul said while interacting with the media here in Shillong, Meghalaya's State Capital.

The AICC president was reacting to reports of him wearing an expensive jacket here, while his party attacked the Prime Minister in 2015 for wearing an expensive suit and later dubbed the BJP as a “suit boot ka sarkar.”

“Somebody gave that to me (jacket,)” Rahul said on the controversy, but went on to say that the prime Minister deliberately maintains a distance from the poor and so it is a suit boot ka sarkar.

He further said you will not see a him (PM) hug a poor man talk to a poor person, talk or engage to a person. You will see him with others."   

The AICC president said the BJP Government is waiving off credits of powerful businessmen in the country, but is not taking similar steps for poor farmers. He said that the policy of the BJP indicates it is not for the poor.

Meanwhile, Rahul skirted a question when asked if it was okay for the Congress if the BJP considers withdrawal of criminal cases registered against the members of the majority community in view of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s consideration of withdrawing criminal cases registered against the minority community in the southern state.