Calcutta: No other Indian state can match Meghalaya in terms of natural caves, Brian Dermot Kharpran, who recently explored the world's longest sandstone cave, Krem Puri (24.5km), said on Thursday.
Kharpran, the founder-member of the Meghalaya Adventurers' Association, and his team measured Krem Puri near Laitsohum village in Mawsynram in East Khasi Hills during their expedition in February.
It is over 6,000 metres longer than the previous world record-holder, the Cueva Del Saman in Edo Zulia in Venezuela, a quartzite sandstone cave, which is 18.2km long.
"I set up this organisation in 1990 and since 1992, we have been conducting this annual month-long expedition top explore and map caves. We have discovered around 1,700 caves across the state till date. But thousands of them are yet to be explored," Kharpran, 71, a retired official of Shillong Co-operative Urban Bank, said.
"I came to know about Krem Puri in 2015. We started our journey next year and explored a 6km area. We realised that the area has a lot of potential. So in 2017, we trekked another 12.4km. Unlike any other sandstone caves, Krem Puri is unique because it is devoid of any formation. It's a very dry and complex maze inside. The passages are narrow and small. You have to crawl sometimes," he added.
The Meghalaya Adventurers' Association conducts its expedition every year in February, the driest time of the year. A team of around 40 trained cavers trek across the state to discover the hidden treasure trail of the hills.
"I always had a passion for adventure sports. I went to the UK, France and other European countries to meet cave explorers and gather knowledge about this field. Two experts from Sweden and the UK lead my expedition team every year," he said.
However, Kharpran, who won the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2002, expressed displeasure over the lack of government support towards cave adventure in Meghalaya. "We don't get financial or any other support from the state or the Centre. We contribute ourselves for our expeditions and import modern trekking equipment and lights from abroad. We don't have the required awareness and infrastructure about cave adventure in India," Kharpran, who often conducts talks on cave exploration in colleges across Meghalaya and also in other parts of the country, said.
"Cave adventure is different from other adventure sports. It needs knowledge of cave hydrology, palaeontology survey and mapping. The world's top 20 deepest and longest caves are located in Meghalaya. We need to spread awareness to boost this culture," Kharpran added.
