Rare Basalt Rock Column, Formed Six Crore Years Back, Found In Maharashtra's Yavatmal

This rare rock formation was found last week at Shibla-Pardi village in Wani-Pandhakawda area of the district, a geologist said.

A columnar basalt rock pillar formed six crore years back from volcanic lava has been discovered during a road construction work at a village in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra, a leading geologist has said. This rare rock formation was found last week at Shibla-Pardi village in Wani-Pandhakawda area of the district, he said. Talking to PTI, environmentalist and geologist Prof Suresh Chopane said, "It is a rare natural rock called columnar basalt formed from the lava of a massive volcanic eruption in Maharashtra that occurred 60 million years ago. The hexagon-shaped pillars were formed due to the shrinking of the lava." Chopane, a former member of the regional empowered committee of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said Wani area of Yavatmal district is geographically very ancient.