BENGALURU: The Karnataka government will soon launch India’s first Western Ghats on Wheels- a mobile museum showcasing the endemic and unique biodiversity of the biodiversity hotspot. The specially designed Volvo bus will travel around the state, catering to various sections of society.
Karnataka State Western Ghats Taskforce Committee Chairman Mohammed Tabrez Alam Shariff said, the state has approved the bus and it will be launched in another six months. The estimated budget for the project is Rs1 crore.
Volvo is donating a 15metre 9600 service model multi-axle luxury coach for the mobile museum. Interactive and holographic screens will be placed inside the bus showcasing wildlife, waterfalls and forests. The bus will operate on roof mounted solar panels and zero-carbon footprint, he said.
The bus will be divided into three sections, the two sides will be used as two corridors, occupying three-fourth of the bus for display. The remaining portion will be utilised as the seating area for discussions. Theme based life-size models are also planned to be displayed inside the bus.
Shariff said, images and videos for creating the virtual videos and for display will be sources for multiple sources. Graphics and animations will also be used for drawing the attention of children. Theme based forests will also be created inside the bus which can be changed.
Shariff said, discussions are also on to create a dedicated immobile Western Ghats museum spread across 10acre of land in Jarakabanade reserve forest, near HMT. Land for the project is awaited and work is likely to start after another six months. With this Western Ghats experience centres will also be set up in various parts of the state, he added.
