Maharashtra may soon get its own fossil park with replicas of dinosaurs and exhibits of their bones and plant fossils dating back to the pre-historic period.

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The first phase of the 'Wadadham Fossil Wood Park' at Sironcha in Gadchiroli district will be commissioned this year.

The landscape has exposed Jurassic-era fossils, including flora (tree logs and leaves) and fauna (reptiles including Kotasaurus, Barapasaurus and fish). An intact Sauropod skeleton was recovered from the Pochampalli village in 1959 and is on display at the Geology Museum in the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.

Yatbon WI, Chief Conservator of Forests, Gadchiroli, said the centre, which is located around 400km from Nagpur, in the red corridor, would educate people on fossils and natural history.

"The area is being developed as a fossil park as dinosaur bones, plant and fish fossils have been recovered. The work is expected to be completed by March-end. We have gone in for in-situ conservation of fossils after identifying and cleaning them," said Tushar Chavan, Deputy Conservator of forests, Sironcha forest division.

While the site saw around 50 visitors daily, including pilgrims coming to the nearby Kaleshwar temple, its development will boost eco-tourism and livelihood opportunities for local tribals. Work on the nature interpretation centre and tourist amenities like water, toilets, approach roads and ticketing centre is underway in the Rs 83 lakh first phase, added Chavan.

The department plans to develop an international-level park in the second phase, which will also include dinosaur and fossil replicas, with a concept plan being worked out.

The park, which will be managed by local villagers, will aid the preservation and management of these fossils.

"Archaeological excavations can be undertaken even today. There are more fossils in the area and we have taken their GPS locations. They are scattered throughout Gondwanaland in Alapalli to Telangana," Chavan said.

The department has also communicated with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) state directorate of archaeology and museums for collaboration and 3-D printed replicas.

Wadadham has also been approved as a biodiversity heritage site by the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board due to the presence of fossils, rare plants and stone-age tools in the vicinity.

  • Wadhdham is on the NH16 connecting Nizamabad in Telangana and Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh. The nearest railway stationsare Mancherial (Telangana) and Ballarshah (Maharashtra), which are at a 75km and 200km distance, respectively  
  • Paleontological background of the area: The present proposed area for the fossil park represents upper Gondwana Kota formations belonging to early Jurassic period. Scientific investigations have revealed that present area was near the sea.