KOCHI: Central Kerala will miss the 'Science Express-Biodiversity' special train when it passes through the state this time, starting August 12. The mobile exhibition mounted on a specially designed 16 coach air-conditioned train, and traveling across India will stop at Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kozhikode and Kannur in the state.
The exhibition will be on at Thiruvananthapuram from August 12 to 14 and will be open at Alappuzha from August 16 to 19. From Alappuzha, the train will proceed to Coimbatore via Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad, without stopping at any of these stations. After completing the three-day show at Coimbatore from August 20, the exhibition will move to Kozhikode from August 24 to 27 and Kannur from August 28 to 31.
According to railway officials, the exhibition is an initiative of the central department of science and technology and ministry of environment and forest (MOEF) and the railway has no say on the selection of its destinations.
The Kerala state biodiversity board (SBB) is taking up the issue with the MOEF. "We were not even kept in the loop when the exhibition was arranged. It is really embarrassing that the SBB, which is responsible for creating awareness and preserving the biodiversity of the state, is not able to answer even primary questions on the schedule of the exhibition," said a top official of the board.
An MOEF official said the route of the train was finalized after taking into account the number of stations visited during the last trip. He conceded that a more relevant tour schedule for the train could have been made if more field-level discussions were held during the planning stage.
"It may not be possible to change the plan for this trip as the entire programme has already been worked out. More stations can be included during the next trip of the train,'' he said.
Of the 16 coaches of the train, eight are solely dedicated for showcasing biodiversity and will focus on themes such as critically endangered species, biodiversity hotspots, bio-culture, threats and challenges including climate change, conservation measures and unique success stories in preserving the environment.
The exhibition also covers various other facets such as marine, coastal, forest, microbial, agro biodiversity and their linkage with livelihoods besides challenges of conservation.
Three other coaches have exhibits on climate change, energy and water conservation. The Joy of Science Lab is housed in another coach, in which students can perform various experiments and activities to understand the concepts in biodiversity, climate change, environment and science. A conference room-cum-training facility is also provided in a coach primarily for the purpose of capacity building of teachers.
In the current phase, from April 9 to October 28, the train is scheduled to travel to 62 locations across India.
