NEW DELHI, Sept 18: Seven natural sites from across the country have been added to UNESCO’s tentative list of World heritage sites, taking the total number of Indian properties on the list to 69. These comprised 49 cultural, 17 natural, and three mixed heritage sites.
The inclusion of these sites marks an important step towards their potential nomination to the prestigious World Heritage List, as UNESCO mandates placement on the Tentative List as a precondition for full nomination. According to a statement from the Ministry of Culture here today, the newly inscribed sites reflect India’s geological, ecological, and climatic diversity, and represent significant milestones in Earth’s natural history and evolution.
The seven sites added to the tentative list are Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra), Geological Heritage of St. Mary’s Island Cluster(Karnataka), Meghalayan Age Caves (Meghalaya), Naga Hill Ophiolite (Nagaland), Erra Matti Dibbalu (Red Sand Hills) and Natural Heritage of Tirumala Hills, (both from Andhra Pradesh), and Varkala Cliffs(Kerala). The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the designated nodal agency for the World Heritage Convention, played a key role in the documentation and submission process for these sites, said the statement.
The Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Paris, commended ASI’s sustained efforts in advancing India’s heritage conservation agenda on the international platform, it added.
With these new additions, India’s focus continues to shift towards recognising and preserving not just its built heritage but also the rich geological and ecological legacy that forms a vital part of the subcontinent’s natural history, added the statement. (UNI )
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