By IANS,
New Delhi : To spread awareness about the biodiversity of the country, the Ministry of Environment and Forests along with the Department of Science and Technology Tuesday launched the ‘Science Express-Biodiversity Special’ train here, which will reach out to people in far flung areas of the country.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the train that will travel a distance of 18,000 km, culminating at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
The eight-coach train is dedicated to showcasing the biodiversity of the country through different lenses and include exhibitions on bio-culture heritage, biodiversity-livelihood linkages, and domestic biodiversity.
“The train will halt for three-four days at each of the 52 locations which it has to cover,” Dikshit said.
Abhishek, a 10th standard student of Bloom Public School, said: “This kind of event is necessary to make us realise what kind of initiatives we are taking to be more environment friendly.”
Another student, Samarth, said: “It’s all about creating awareness on what we are doing and what we should do to have a better tomorrow.”
The train has four coaches dedicated to climate change, biodiversity and water and energy conservation. The initiative is supported by organisations like the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the Swiss Embassy and Nestle.
Students of Gyan Mandir School performed an educative street play about what needs to be done to secure the environment for future generations.