The number of visitors to the Science Express – Bio Diversity Special at Coimbatore Junction witnessed a quantum jump on the second day on Wednesday. On day one on Tuesday, there were 7,154 visitors. This included visitors from 47 schools and 480 general visitors (not students). Similarly, the number of students who visited the kids’ zone and joy of science laboratory and the number of teachers who attended the teachers’ orientation programme was also encouraging.
On day two on Wednesday, there was a remarkable increase in the number of visitors with the number of footfalls touching 11,389 from over 70 schools and 680 general visitors. Students took nearly 45 minutes to one hour to go through the entire 16-coach air conditioned express that had answers for mysteries of science.
Arrangements
The officials had to make arrangements for creating space for the students to join the long unwinding queue. Interestingly, more number of college students turned up on Wednesday.
There had been enough number of enquiries from students from various institutions for visiting the science express on Thursday and Friday. With more enquiries, the officials are making arrangements for accommodating the students in shade and to ensure that everyone got a chance to have a glimpse of the country’s longest and most-visited exhibition. To keep the students entertained during the wait for their turn to board the train, a team from PSG College of Arts and Science led by Assistant Professor Ramasamy will be staging a skit in the afternoon on environmental awareness. The focus will be on the ill-effects of exploitation and denuding of forests, sparrow conservation and conflict situations between human and elephant.
Arrangements for the same are being co-ordinated by Osai, an NGO, and Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee. With the number of visitors having touched the nearly 20,000 mark in two days, railway authorities are expecting the total number of visitors to go up in the remaining days so as to surpass the 75,000 and 85,000 odd visitors at Chennai and Tiruchirapalli respectively. The train is scheduled to leave on Friday night for Kozhikode.
Institutions could visit wwww.scienceexpress@gmail.com or send an e-mail to scienceexpress@gmail.com or call up 094284-05407.
For taking part in teachers orientation programme or for sessions in Joy of Science Lab people could call up 094284-05408 or send an e-mail to vascsc.jobs@gmail.com.
For fixing up day and time of visit for convenience, institutions could fix up with local coordinators nominated by the Education Department by calling any of the following numbers; 94884-48016/94898-75076/94427-09120/74026-22738/74026-22772/74026-22779.
