Explore Country’s Biodiversity on Wheels

The New Indian Express , Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Correspondent : Akshay Prasad
BENGALURU: “It has been a brilliant experience today. Though I have been to several science exhibitions in the past, this stands out as it is in a train. Since exhibits related to biodiversity from across the country have been displayed, I gained a lot of knowledge,” said 12-year-old Prithvi Ramachandran.

He was one of the students who visited the Science Express Biodiversity Special, a train dedicated to creating awareness on the country’s rich biodiversity and the urgent need to save the environment, at the Whitefield Railway Station on Monday.

Accompanied by his parents, Prithvi emphatically said that he would like to do something to save the environment.

The train, comprising 16 AC coaches, has ten compartments dedicated to various exhibits about the country’s biodiversity and the richness in the flora and fauna of every state, apart from laboratories and an entertainment area for

children. The train is a mascot for the United Nations’ declaration of the current decade (2010-2020) as the biodiversity decade, and is a collaboration between the Department of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The train was flagged off from Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi on July 28 by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javdekar and its journey will culminate on February 6. On Monday, several schoolchildren and general visitors visited the train to have a look at the various exhibits displayed.

The exhibition showcases the myriad biodiversity spread across the Himalayas, the Indo-Gangetic Plains, North-east India, Western Ghats, the deserts, semi-arid regions, the Deccan Plateau, and the coasts and islands.

Since the train’s launch in 2011, the train has travelled around 1.15 lakh kilometres across the country and has also received footfall of around 1.23 crore. The train will stay put at the Whitefield Railway station till Thursday, before moving on to Jolarpettai and other places.

Entry to the exhibition is free and batches of students can participate in the ‘Joy of Science’ laboratory with a prior appointment. The exhibition will be open to public between 10 am and 5 pm. Contact 09428 405408 for details.

 
SOURCE : http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/Explore-Country%E2%80%99s-Biodiversity-on-Wheels/2014/11/11/article2518050.ece
 


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