Jharkhand to protect fossil rock in Dumka district to attract tourists

Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh has said that steps will be taken to protect a huge rock in Dumka district's Barmasia village containing fossils of birds and animals to attract tourists.

This rock containing many animals and birds such as squirrels, hoofs of deer, fish, primitive man, etc in the fossil form has been brought to the notice of the Tourism department, he said on Thursday.

The minister said the fossil rock would help discover the mysteries about the development of the civilisation.

A letter is being written to the Tourism department for the protection of the rock and construction of a park, etc, the minister said, adding that "I am determined for the protection and preservation of this fossil rock and the development of the area.

A Dumka-based author Pandit Anoop Kumar Vajpayee had researched and discovered the fossil rock over a decade ago and also authored a book on the research work titled "Dumka Zille ki Dharmik-Sanskritik-Puratatwik Jhalak" (Glimpses of Dumka district's important Religious, Cultural, Archaeological sites", which was released on October 3.

In a letter to the Tourism department, the Dumka district administration has identified many tourist spots in the district including Janakpur fossil rock as tourist spot and promotion of the area.