Dr. Ritesh Arya Visits Gilbert Hill: A Forgotten Geological Treasure in Mumbai's Urban Jungle
PRESS NOTE Dr. Ritesh Arya Visits Gilbert Hill: A Forgotten Geological Treasure in Mumbai's Urban Jungle Mumbai, 15 June 2025 — Renowned geologist and Tethys Fossil Museum Director Dr. Ritesh Arya visited Gilbert Hill, one of Mumbai’s most extraordinary geological monuments, known for its 66-million-year-old columnar basalt formations—the remnants of the Deccan volcanic activity that possibly contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs. What should have been a celebrated natural wonder turned out to be a neglected site struggling to breathe under concrete and urban sprawl. Dr. Arya had to make considerable effort to locate Gilbert Hill, now nearly hidden amidst buildings and lacking directional signage or any display of geological significance. Though declared a National Geological Monument by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the site's preservation tells another story. The GSI has attempted conservation by drilling, bolting, and grouting to stabilize the columnar join...