Title - Knowledge on rails: Science Express docks at Khadki rly station

PUNE: Did you know that 166 species of crops originated in India? Or that the Assamese balloon frog is endemic to India? Or that India’s Asiatic cheetah is now extinct? The Science Express, which is presently stationed at the Khadki railway station, has come with a knowledge trove about biodiversity in India and what you can do to save it.
The Science Express is a complete science classroom on wheels and will be in the city till September 15. Moreover the people even have a chance to vote for deciding the national microbe at the exhibition. It is a collaborative initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and Ministry of Environment and Forests, mounted on a customised 16 coach AC train. Having opened in Delhi on June 5, the mobile exhibition reached Pune on Wednesday. It has already been to 27 cities across the country.
It showcases myriad biodiversity in the bio-geographical zone of India including the Himalayas, Gangetic plain, North East India, desert and semi arid zone, western ghats, Deccan peninsula and the coasts and islands. It explains details about marine, coastal, forest, microbial, agro-biodiversity with the help of 3D models, interactive exhibits and colourful panels. It also focuses on people in these regions, their culture and connectivity to nature. The endangered species and threat to biodiversity has also been depicted impressively.
Designed effectively the exhibition also motivates action and guides visitors as to what they can do to preserve the biodiversity. For instance, plant a tree and nurture it, eat chapatis made of a variety of cereals rather than just wheat, play Holi with natural colours amongst other things.