The Centre plans to set up India’s first “night sky sanctuary” in Ladakh within the next three months, according to an official release.
At a meeting between Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh and Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur on Saturday, it was also decided that the proposed ‘dark sky reserve’ will be located at Hanle in Ladakh as part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary.
The reserve will boost astro tourism in India and will be one of the world’s highest-located sites for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes.
Singh said a tripartite memorandum of understanding was signed recently among the UT administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) for launching the dark space reserve.
All stakeholders will jointly work towards the preservation of the night sky from unwanted light pollution and illumination, which is a serious threat to the scientific observations and natural sky conditions, he said.
Hanle is best suited for the project as it is located in Ladakh’s cold desert region with clear sky and dry weather conditions throughout the year and away from human disturbance.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More
Less
For all the latest world News Click Here
