NEW DELHI: Seven natural heritage sites ranging from the Deccan Traps to Meghalayan Age Caves from India have been added to Unesco’s tentative list of world heritage sites. With this inclusion, India now has a total of 69 sites under consideration by Unesco, comprising 49 cultural, 17 natural, and three mixed heritage properties.”As per Unesco’s protocol, inclusion in the tentative list is a prerequisite for any site to be nominated for the prestigious World Heritage List,” the culture ministry said.The seven sites that have been added to the tentative list include ‘Deccan Traps’ at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra. “Home to some of the best-preserved and studied lava flows in the world, these sites form part of the massive Deccan Traps and are located within the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary-already a Unesco World Heritage Site,” the ministry shared. The geological heritage of St. Mary’s island cluster in Karnataka, that is on the tentative list, is known for its rare columnar basaltic rock formations. ‘Meghalayan Age Caves’ that are now on the tentative list showcase the stunning cave system of Meghalaya. Also on the list is ‘Naga Hill Ophiolite’- a rare exposure of ophiolite rocks.Meanwhile, in July this year the ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ were inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage List taking the total number of World Heritage properties in India to 44.
