Thu Jan 30 02:49:09 UTC 2025: ## Visakha Valley School Students Learn About Endangered Red Sand Dunes
**VISAKHAPATNAM, January 30, 2025** – Around sixty students from Visakha Valley School embarked on a field trip Wednesday to the Erramatti Dibbalu (red sand dunes) in Rushikonda, a heritage site facing erosion. The educational excursion, organized in conjunction with the Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Visakhapatnam Chapter, aimed to raise awareness about the importance of preserving this unique geological formation.
INTACH representatives explained that the 12,000-year-old red sand dunes are one of only two such sites in India, and are threatened by sea erosion and human activity. Originally spanning 850 acres, the dunes have shrunk to 400 acres. The students were urged to advocate for the protection of this and other significant heritage sites.
The trip also included a visit to the natural ‘Sila Thoranam’ at Thotlakonda, another area of historical importance. School principal Eshwari Prabhakar emphasized the students’ role in safeguarding India’s heritage.
First Piper 