The children’s park on the Museum premises is, arguably, one of the most popular recreation spots in the city for children. With swings, slides, merry-go-rounds, and other paraphernalia that define a park, children can now seek the facilities that the newly constructed, three-storey Children’s Activity Centre promises to provide, including a 3-D animation theatre and a library.
“The theatre – with a seating capacity of 37 – has been completed by the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (KELTRON), but the interior work of the rest of the building remains. That will take a couple more months. But we will be inaugurating the completion of the structure and the theatre on March 12,” said Museums and Zoo Director K. Udayvarman.
He added that the spacious Baker-style building was an all-in-all leisure area, where children could read in the library and those more artistically inclined, would be provided arts and crafts material in a hall devoted to such activities.
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In addition, a unique feature of this centre was the setting up of an environmental education unit. Mr. Udayvarman said this would, for instance, have a section on the biodiversity of ecological hotspots such as the Western Ghats. “The Centre for Environmental Education is preparing the project and they are the ones who will be implementing it as well,” he added.
The inaugural ceremony on Tuesday will also mark the launch the battery-powered vehicles for visitors to travel around the zoo premises. Minister for Tourism A.P. Anil Kumar had himself test-driven the buggy in September last year. Part of the much-delayed project will materialise on Tuesday, when one eight-seater vehicle will begin functioning. The remaining three, including one more eight-seater and two 14-seater vehicles, were expected to arrive latest by the end of the month, said the Zoo Director.
The vehicles have been acquired from a Chennai-based company, via the Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO).
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