KOTTAYAM/KOCHI: The decade-long wait for the Science City, touted as the first one in South India, is coming to fruition. The construction of the Science Centre, which is the first phase of the project coming up at Kozha near Kuravilangad in Kottayam on 30 acres of land, has been completed and it will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on May 29. The project is being established under the auspices of the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum under the Department of Higher Education.
Besides the Science Centre, the Science City project also envisages a planetarium, motion simulator, augmented reality/virtual reality theatres, musical fountain, light and sound show, astronomical observatory, gardens, visitor facilities, entrance gate and related infrastructure.
A science park and dinosaur enclosure have also been developed, along with a telescope to enable public to dabble in astronomy. The Science Centre building spans 47,147 sq ft, and houses science galleries of Fun Science, Marine Life and Science, Emerging Technology, 3-D theatre, temporary exhibition area, activity centre, seminar hall, conference hall and workshops.
The first phase works are nearing completion, with essential infrastructure such as internal roads, campus electrification, a water supply system, a visitor canteen, and rest room facilities being finalised.
The establishment of the Science Centre was projected to cost Rs 14.5 crore in 2015, with equal financial contributions from both the Central and state governments.
The construction was entrusted to the National Council of Science Museums, a prestigious institution under the Central government. “However, the Central funds were not forthcoming and with cost escalation, the entire funding burden had to be borne by the state government.
The state government has invested approximately Rs 50 crore to develop the necessary facilities,” said Higher Education Minister R Bindu.
According to her, the proposal for the second phase is ready and a budget of Rs 45 crore has already been drawn up.
“A large-scale Bio-diversity Park is also under development within the campus in collaboration with the Uzhavoor block panchayat and Kuravilangad grama panchayat, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The park will host a diverse collection of flora native to Kerala’s forests, including medicinal herbs, rare and endangered species, orchids, carnivorous plants, ornamental and aromatic varieties, bamboo species, and palms,” she added.
“A system has been envisaged to include boards with the name of the plant, botanical name and other details for the visitors to understand each plant. Once the bio-diversity garden is completed, it will become the biggest botanical garden in the country in terms of bio-diversity,” said the minister.
The construction of the bio-diversity garden will also be inaugurated by the Chief Minister along with the inauguration of the first phase of the Science Centre.