Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, RK Mathur reviewed the progress of the Dark Sky Sanctuary at Hanley during a meeting with the concerned officers on March 15 in Leh

Director, Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Professor Annapurni Subramaniam; Principal Secretary, Dr Pawan Kotwal; Chief Wildlife Warden, Mufti Sajjad Hussain and Engineer in-charge, IIA Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle, Dorje Angchuk were present in the meeting.

LG Mathur discussed the regulatory framework to notify the sanctuary, including applying for membership to get affiliation from international bodies such as the International Dark Sky Association and Starlight Foundation. He requested IIA to indicate the parameters and contact both the international bodies for their affiliation. LG Mathur also stressed on the need to get the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on board for their support for the project.

During the discussion on developing infrastructure in Hanley, LG Mathur stressed on the need to develop homestays for the tourists. He inquired about developing infrastructure to install the telescopes and the need to connect the telescope with a computer so that the tourists can see the celestial bodies on a screen. He highlighted the need for offering a personalised experience for tourists. LG Mathur stressed on the need to attract student groups from across the country to enhance their knowledge.