The perfect dark spot

Besides astronomy, the Astronomy Society of Hyderabad will also promote eco tourism at the Maredumilli Forest Sanctuary situated around 450 km away from Hyderabad.

Two weeks back, the members were looking for a dark spot — a place with zero light pollution and less habitation — for which they visited the Maredumilli Forest Sanctuary. “We were camping by the river. We found that the place had been littered — there were beer bottles and plastic bottles etc. — so we decided to clean it,” says Harsha Pandula, members of the Astronomy Society of Hyderabad. Two other members, Pronoy Samanta and Sanjeeve Siddhart, also joined in.

From left, Harsha Pandula, Pronoy Samanta and Sanjeeve Siddhart at the Maredumilli Sanctuary
The three then spoke to locals and the officials from the Forest department, who welcomed the idea of eco tourism. “Not many know about the place, which is close to Rajahmundry. We spoke to the officials from the Forest department, who were happy about the new initiative... They even provided us with security at night.”He adds, “There are a lot of unexplored waterfalls. This place would serve as an ideal getaway for those who enjoy nature and even those who love to trek. This is also an ideal place for those who love photography.”

The members will organise weekend getaways to Maredumilli Forest Sanctuary once in every two months. “We would also take the responsibility of cleaning up the place whenever we visit,” adds Harsha.