All you wanted to know about earth

KOLKATA: Dharamveer Das, an accountant with a privately run firm, was staring at the huge earth dome with rapt attention. Like his 12-year-old son Uttam, Dharamveer too was eager to learn more about the ozone holes and other dangers the earth faces today.

Father and son were standing inside Earth Hall at Kolkata’s Science City. The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) regards Earth Hall as the first dedicated earth building in the world.

The 60th General Assembly of the United Nations had adopted a resolution declaring 2008 as the International Year of the Planet Earth. NCSM decided to honour this resolution by setting up the permanent facility at Science City.

The Earth Exploration Hall, is a highly interactive experience. There are exhibits explaining the origin of the earth, its geology, tornadoes, earthquakes, taking viewers through an information-packed journey. It’s all happening inside a hemispherical dome of 25m diameter. It also has a solid globe of 6m diameter at its centre.

“This project is a collaborative effort of NCSM’s centres in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore. Our earth is extremely vulnerable today and the common man must be told of the hazards of resource depletion, global warming, climate change and take action at an individual level. This project will help educate the masses about earth and earth issues,” Science City director GS Rautela told DNA.

Echoing his sentiments, Asoke Sen, a visitor from Delhi said: “It’s a highly educative experience and has helped to fill in the gaps in my knowledge.”
The project, costing Rs 2.6 crore, was funded entirely by Science City, Kolkata.
m_madhumita@dnaindia.net