Citizens join hands to preserve the geological marvel of Erra Matti Dibbalu in Visakhapatnam

  (Source: The Hindu)

Many would think it is a crazy pastime... to walk along a seemingly endless stretch of red sandy hills on a sultry morning, gathering bits of strewn plastic and paper. Yet, a group of 45 people did just that last weekend, collecting bagfuls of waste. While cleanup drives are not uncommon in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, what makes this exercise different is the location: Erra Matti Dibbalu, a geological marvel unique to the coast of Visakhapatnam. Located between Visakhapatnam and Bheemunipatnam, the Erra Matti Dibbalu are rare red sand dunes that are a reminder of the million years of geological processes, and among the 34 notified National Geological Heritage Monument Sites of India by the Geological Survey of India. The width of the dunes, which runs for five kilometres along the coast, varies from 200 metres to two kilometres. Located at a distance of 16 kilometres from Visakhapatnam, the towering red sand dunes with patches of greenery is like a meandering maze, which takes one on a fascinating journey into one of the best kept secrets of the geological world, formed millions of years ago.