Chhattisgarh

• 18 Mar 2025

Kanger Valley National Park UNESCO Recognition

Why in News? 

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added Kanger Valley National Park (KVNP) in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region to its Tentative List of World Heritage Sites under the Natural Heritage category. 

 Key Points 

• UNESCO Tentative List Inclusion: 
  • The state Chief Minister expressed pride in this achievement, highlighting KVNP’s role in biodiversity conservation, tribal culture promotion, and eco-tourism.  
  • He emphasized that global recognition would boost tourism and bring prestige to Bastar and Chhattisgarh. 
• UNESCO Criteria Fulfillment: 
  • KVNP qualified for the UNESCO listing based on three critical criteria: 
    • Natural beauty –  landscapes, waterfalls, and valleys. 
    • Geological significance – Unique rock formations and limestone caves. 
    • Biodiversity – Rich flora and fauna, including rare species. 
• Proposal Submission Process: 
  • The park’s management submitted a proposal to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Ministry of Culture, leading to UNESCO’s selection of KVNP for the tentative list. 

 Kanger Valley National Park 

• Location: 
  • Situated in Jagdalpur, Bastar district, Chhattisgarh. 
  • It lies on the banks of the Kholaba River, a tributary of the Godavari River. 
  • It is named after the Kanger River, which flows through its length. 
  • It was declared a national park in 1982. 
  • The entire park is a core area with no buffer zone. 
• Topography: 
  • It features diverse landscapes, including plateaus, valleys, steep slopes, and stream courses. 
  • It houses three famous limestone caves—Kutumbasar, Kailash, and Dandak—known for stalactites and stalagmites. 
    • Stalactite is an icicle-shaped formation that hangs from the ceiling of a cave and is produced by the precipitation of minerals from water dripping through the cave ceiling. Most stalactites have pointed tips. 
    • Stalagmite is an upward-growing mound of mineral deposits that have precipitated from water dripping onto the floor of a cave. Most stalagmites have rounded or flattened tips. 
  • It hosts Tirathgarh Waterfall, a major tourist attraction and is home to a significant tribal population. 
  • It contains underground limestone caves with dripstone and flowstone formations. 
• Flora: 
  • Characterized by mixed humid deciduous forests. 
  • Abundant tree species include Sal, Saugaun, Teak, and Bamboo. 
• Fauna: 
  • Major mammals: Tigers, Mouse Deer, Leopards, Wildcat, Sambar, Chital, Barking Deer, Langurs, Jackals, Rhesus Macaque, and Flying Squirrel. 
  • Aerial fauna: Common Hill Myna, Red Jungle Fowl, Spotted Owlet, Racket-Tailed Drongos, and Parrots. 

 UNESCO’s Tentative List 

• UNESCO’s tentative list is an inventory of properties which each state party intends to consider for nomination. 
  • As per Operational Guidelines, 2019 of UNESCO, it is mandatory to put any monument/site on the tentative list for one year before it is considered for the final nomination dossier. 
  • Once the nomination is done, it is sent to the World Heritage Centre (WHC).