Conservationists and experts have raised concerns over a proposed mega oil refinery to be set up in the Barsu village of Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra because the refinery might damage the prehistoric rock art, geoglyphs or petroglyphs, found in the area. These sites in the Konkan region had been added to a tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in April 2022, which are protected by the state archaeology department and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Initially, Nanar village of Ratnagiri district had been chosen for the construction of the refinery but the plan was dropped in 2019. Now, Barsu-Solgaon site has been proposed for this construction.
Geoglyphs or Petroglyphs
Geoglyphs or petroglyphs are a form of prehistoric rock art, created on the surface of laterite plateaus. These rock carvings are made directly on the surface of the rock by removing a part of the rock surface through an incision, picking, carving, or abrading. They could be in the form of rock paintings, etchings, cup marks, and ring marks. As per the UNESCO listing, both petroglyphs and geoglyphs share similarities as both require the skills of removing parts or engraving a symbol on the rock surface.
Significance of Ratnagiri’s Prehistoric Rock Art
In 2010, keen ornithologist and a passionate narrator of Konkan history, Sudhir Risbud, started a campaign called ‘Unexplored Konkan’. In 2012, while doing a project in the area around Aryadurga Temple and Ganpatipule, he came across petroglyphs which were showed to him by a shepherd. The local tribal population treated them with reverence, as a legacy of their forefathers. Thus, over a thousand rock carvings were discovered across the Konkan region and later they became protected monuments.
Ratnagiri district is believed to have over 1,500 petroglyphs spread across 70 sites, which vary in shape and size from site to site. These petroglyphs are also known as katal shilpa and are believed to be nearly 20,000 years old which could have originated way back in the Middle and the Later Stone Age. However, the UNESCO listing dates these sites to be over 12,000 years old. The seven UNESCO tentative World Heritage Sites are Ukshi, Jambharun, Kasheli, Rundhe Tali, Devihsol, Barsu, and Devache Gothane. Besides, Kudopi village in Sindhudurg district, and nine sites at Phansamal in Goa, have also been added to UNESCO’s tentative world heritage list.
Examples of advanced artistic skills
The geoglyph clusters are examples of advanced artistic skills showing evolution of techniques of etching and scooping in rock art. The figures depicted in the geoglyphs include humans and animals, such as deer, elephant, tiger, monkey, wild boar, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, cattle, pig, rabbit, and monkey besides a high number of reptilian and amphibian creatures such as tortoises, alligators, and aquatic animals such as sharks and sting rays, and birds like peacocks.
The carvings of rhinoceroses and hippopotamus suggest that the Konkan may have once been a lot like the rainforests where these animals are typically found though these animals were never thought to be prevalent in this region.
The largest geoglyph is at Kasheli in Ratnagiri district. It is a large figure of an elephant with dimensions of 18 by 13 metres. Some clusters have one or two standalone figures of larger-than-life scale, while others show multiple figures gathered together. Also, many geoglyphs are accompanied by abstract motifs and symbols, the meaning of which is not yet known.
These petroglyphs bridge a huge gap in the history of the Konkan region. It is evident that the Konkan coast was lined with many important port towns in the medieval age. Epigraphs and synchronic records prove that it has a history of trade and contact with Europe, and even with the Roman Empire. However, there are no evidences regarding the happenings during the prehistoric times except some evidences from the caves in the region, such as some stone tools estimated to be 25,000 years old, some of the rock art work dating back about 10,000 BCE, from the Mesolithic Period characterised by chipped stone tools.
Some conservationists and experts also plan to create a project for conservation of these petroglyphs and get their carbon and geological datings done.
Some prominent petroglyph and rock art sites in India that could be contemporary to this period are the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh; rock carvings in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh; petroglyphs from the Tindivanam and Viluppuram districts in Tamil Nadu; and Unakoti in Tripura. These petroglyphs are made on granite and sandstone whereas Ratnagiri stone petroglyphs are unique as the carvings are made on laterite stone. Other petroglyphs of similar nature have been discovered in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, and near the banks of the Kushavati river in Goa. These sites are situated south of Ratnagiri, which proves that people must have migrated to these places from Ratnagiri.
About Oil Refinery Project
The project, known as Ratnagiri Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, is being developed by the Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited. It is a joint venture of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
The original plan of developing the project in Nanar village of Ratnagiri district was severely opposed by the local government and residents for its impact on traditional livelihoods and the environment. Now, an alternative site of Barsu village too has run into trouble as the project would adversely affect the petroglyphs. So, in November 2022, a committee of experts was appointed by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology to study and propose measures for conserving these petroglyphs.
According to the experts, if the refinery project is started in Barsu, the rock carvings would get destroyed due to the construction and chemical reaction at the site. So, they have recommended to the government to shift the site about five to six kilometres away in order to save the petroglyphs. Petroglyphs and geoglyphs are considered assets across the world and they cannot be shifted.
The Barsu site for the refinery is not finalised yet. A decision to this effect would be taken only once all the local stakeholders are taken into confidence.
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