Turkmenistan's "Gates of Hell" has been a tourist sightseeing spot for decades. But as per the recent proceedings, the country has decided to close the burning fiery, its greatest attraction.
The gates are the Darvaza gas crater, which has been drawing tourists every year in huge numbers. The fire has been burning for almost 50 years now, started on 1971. As per the latest reports, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Turkmenistan President, stated in a televised government programme that the Gates of Hell is burning a large volume of gas, and it could be used to help prosper the country and its people.
What was the origin of the formation of the Gates of Hell?
There are mixed views and different opinions on the origin of the Gates of Hell. The crater is in the Karakum desert, 260 km from Ashgabat, the capital city. The entire area of the Gates is 60 meters wide and 20 meters deep.
Also known by the names “Gateway to Hell,” or the “Mouth of Hell,” the origin of the crater's fire is majorly attributed to a drilling incident in Soviet Union. The drilling hit a gas cavern and the ground beneath gave way. The Soviet scientists set fire to the sinkhole with the motive of burning out the noxious gases to stop the spread of dangerous fumes. They had then underestimated the amount of fuel that was lying beneath in the cavern. The expectation was the fire will extinguish in weeks, instead it continued for 50 years.
But as per George Kourounis, an explorer from Canada, the depth of the crater does not fully confirm when the fire was initiated. He was the first person to descend into the crater. In some other analysis, the local geologists believe that the crater was formed in the 1960s but started burning in the 1980s.
In the year 2018, the President ordered the gateway to be renamed as, "Shining of Karakum."
What was briefed by the President?
In a televised program, President Berdymukhamedov stated, "The natural gas fire negatively affects both the environment and the health of the people living nearby."
He also mentioned, "We are losing valuable natural resources for which we could get significant profits and use them for improving the well-being of our people".
In 2010, under his orders, attempts were made to extinguish the fire but in vain, The President, this time, has instructed experts and officials to find out a solution for putting out the fire permanently.
What are the challenges that lay ahead?
Though orders have been passed to close the fiery Gates of Hell, yet there are huge challenges and risks to achieve the same. The ground temperature of the crater can reach upto 400 degrees Celsius. To extinguish such an intense fire is indeed a mammoth task at hand. But the amount of damage being caused to environment and health is concerning, hence a solution is essential for the betterment of all.
Yes, true the world will lose an interesting tourist attraction; once the Gates of Hell is closed. But for the sake of humanity and the adjacent environment, tourists have to forego it.
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