Chhattisgarh will set up a ‘Marine Fossil Park’ in Koriya district where fossils of Permian geological period were found.
The state government has provisioned ₹17.15 lakh to set up the fossil park and the forest department has been tasked to develop it, a public relations officer said here today.
The marine fossils of sea shells were discovered on rocks on the bank of Hasdeo river near Manendragarh in Koriya district a couple of years back following which the forest department officials visited the area.
Later, scientists from Lucknow-based Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany (BSIP) inspected the area near Amakherwa village and confirmed the existence of large quantity of fossils there, he said.
The BSIP scientists found that these fossils were of Permian geological period and around 25 crore years old.
They recommended the state government to develop this area as a geo-heritage site following which action was taken in this regard, the official said.