Letter: Fragile treasures beneath Bosnia

Sir: As a potholer and speleologist I am categorically opposed to any blasting in the Karstic area ("Bosnia's Big Bang alarms the mayor", 21 August). Bosnia is a part of the Yugoslav "Dinaric Karst", a very fragile limestone Devonian formation with stalagmites, stalactites and other natural beauties underground, and typical Karstic landscape, wildlife and flora on the surface. All this will be totally destroyed when the subterranean formations crash in the detonations. The subterranean waters, rivers and lakes will change their courses, and the reserves of drinking water will disappear - the whole country will turn into a moonlike desert.

Blasting ammunition dumps in a Karstic region will be a catastrophe. The Dinaric Karst is of the same value as the Mammoth Karst system in Kentucky. This is an outcry against human madness.

Dr E COURFALIK

Friends of the Earth

London N11