GWMC set to revive defunct planetarium
GWMC authorities prepared reports which will be submited to the govt on the planetarium's revival, thanks to the directions from MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao
Warangal Urban: The revival of Hinduja Prataparudra Municipal Planetarium is all set to be a reality. The authorities of the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) have prepared reports which will be submitted to the government on the planetarium’s revival, thanks to the directions from Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) KT Rama Rao.
According to the sources, the Minister has recently asked Mayor Gundu Sudharani to take the steps for the revival of the planetarium which has been defunct for the last eight years.
Speaking to Telangana Today, an official said that there had been a demand for a long time for the revival of the planetarium. “However, the previous council did not show much interest for the revival,” he said adding that there is a need for at least Rs 60 lakh to Rs one crore to get the modern equipment and seating facility at the planetarium. “Earlier, one Pune-based company visited the GWMC and explained their technology and equipment. But the then council did not take any call on it,” he added.
The Prataparudra Municipal Planetarium was set up in 1983 following the efforts of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. The planetarium earned a sparkling reputation among students as well as science enthusiasts for nearly three decades. The planetarium had actively involved in promoting scientific temper among school children and youngsters and it used to attract hundreds of visitors every day. But the projector, setup at a cost of Rs 30 lakh stopped working in 2007.
“Since the manufacturing of the spare parts of this German-made projector was also stopped, we could not repair it. However, we continued to conduct the shows by setting up an LCD projector from 2007 to 2011 as there was a demand for the shows. We used to conduct 10 to 12 shows a day between October and March in a year and 4 to 5 shows in the remaining months of the year,” said an official.
The price of the high-end projector is around Rs 5 to 7 crore and low-end projector is around Rs 80 lakh, said another official.
“Unfortunately, the planetarium in Warangal which we visited many times during our childhood has faded into oblivion. Rather than spending crores of money in the name of beautification, it is more important to spend money and revive such things which will ignite young minds,” said P Shiva Kumar, a resident of Balasamudram in Hanamkonda, and urged the government to revive the planetarium.
“In a time when quality science education is more important than ever, a scientifically literate public is an essential part of the progress of any country. Planetariums around the world both inspire and educate people of all ages about our surroundings-the earth itself and our place in the universe and they are often a place in which young people become enthused to follow a scientific career. Many of today’s leading scientists chose their careers because they were captivated by the experience of a planetarium visit,” said former professor Dr Srinivas Vooradi.
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