The pleasure of seeing the sights with the beauty of nature is something else. You feel happy and excited after visiting such places. So there are some places in the world that make you sad.
Today we are going to learn about one of the widest pits in the world which the locals know as the road to hell. Now read this whole article to know how this big pit came to be and why it got this name.
The road to hell is the gate to hell in a country called Turkmenistan. The country is known for its beautiful carpets and fine horses. This is the story of 1971, when present-day Turkmenistan was part of the Soviet Union. The Soviets launched a search for oil in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. As part of this expedition, they began excavating in the open space outside the village of Devrez, just 150 miles from the Turkmen capital Ashgabat. After digging a few feet, the sand of the place started collapsing spontaneously and such a big pit was formed there that the entire excavation machine disappeared in that pit. Where scientists suspected the discovery of oil reserves, it actually turned out to be natural gas reserves. Large amounts of methane gas started leaking from these reserves. Although there was no loss of life in the accident, methane gas leaks had to be prevented. This is because the amount of oxygen in the air decreases as methane gas spreads in the air. Oxygen in the air is as important to humans as it is to wildlife.
Methane leaks made it difficult for animals to breathe. Often when methane is found in such natural gas reserves, that reserve is set on fire. So that excess methane is burned and the remaining gas can be used. It was decided to burn methane from Devrez's stock in the same way. The stockpile was set on fire in the hope that the methane would be depleted in a few weeks and further work could begin. But unfortunately the fire is still not extinguished. The pit, which is 230 feet wide and 65 feet deep, has been burning in the Devrez area since 1971. The size of the crater gives an idea of the size of the fire. To this day, many wild animals and insects have been devoured by this fire.
Hundreds of tourists visit this place every year to see this burning pit for the last fifty years. Some of the most photographed places in the world have a 'Hell's Gate' count. Although this dance of flames may look beautiful from a distance, it is causing great inconvenience to the locals. Naturally, this poses a threat to wildlife, and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the 24-hour fire is incalculable. These pits pose a threat to the biodiversity of the area. Although the Soviets dug a hole here and left it as it is, the Turkmen now want some concrete answer to this fire.
Recently, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov called on researchers in the country to discuss ways to extinguish the fire permanently. According to Berdymukhamedov, the pit is a major threat to wildlife and civilians in the area. To this day we have suffered a great deal from this burning pit. Berdymukhamedov declared the Karakum Desert a protected area in 2013. Because of the large amount of wildlife being smuggled out of the area. She has been detained to some extent due to this policy. Now they want to cash in on the pollution that is spreading in the surrounding area due to this pit.
The leakage of methane gas also damages the ozone layer, which is why they now want to fill the hole. But the exact answer is not yet clear. Natural gas reserves in Turkmenistan are very high. That is why this country is also known as the country which emits the most methane. Methane gas is five times more harmful than carbon dioxide. This has made the issue of pollution in Turkmenistan very serious. In addition, it damages the ozone layer in the air and adds to the Earth's temperature. Turkmenistan's president has also said that the country's natural gas reserves are being used to burn methane and that this important resource is being wasted.
So you know why people here call this big pit the gateway to hell.
