Govt to set up country’s first-ever Night Sky Sanctuary in Ladakh to boost Astro tourism

In a unique and first-of-its-kind initiative, the Department of Science and Technology, DST has undertaken to set up India’s first-ever Night Sky Sanctuary in Ladakh. It will be completed within the next three months.

The proposed Dark Sky Reserve will be located at Hanle in Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. It will boost Astro tourism in India and will be one of the world’s highest-located sites for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes.

The site will have activities to help in boosting local tourism and economy through interventions of Science and Technology.

A high-level delegation of scientists and officials from Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai will visit Ladakh by the end of this year to explore the possibility of setting up a regional branch of CLRI. Ladakh has a very rich and wide variety of animals for leather research and industry and to promote bio-economy of animal skin-derived products. He also complimented CSIR for organising 4 training workshops, two each at Leh and Kargil for treatment of diseases of famous Pashmina Goats.