Madurai :

A stream of visitors thronged the KudalNagar station, near Madurai junction, on Thursday to explore a special train that is circling the country to promote awareness on science and biodiversity. Aptly named Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS), it reached Maduraiafter a four-day stay at Trichy junction.

The 16-coach train showcases the rich biodiversity of the country with each coach displaying in detail the different biodiversity zones of the country. The train also displays other facets of biodiversity and its impact on livelihoods of the people in specific regions.

The SEBS was inaugurated at Kudal Nagar station by V Ajithkumar, additional railway divisional manager, in the presence of railway officials. By afternoon students from more than ten schools visited the train, SEBS project staff said. “The response is very good and school students are the majority. We expect more people on the coming days as next three days are holidays,” commented Divya Pande, a project staff. “Comparatively, the response in south India is overwhelming. For instance, we had 57,000 visitors in a single day at Vizakapatanam, while the average visitor count for four days at a north Indian station is around 50,000,” she said.

“The exhibition train is very informative and the volunteers are explaining the concepts very well,” said D Dhya neswaran, a class 6 student of Equitas Gurukul Matriculation School in Dindigul. Students from government schools were also present for the event. The eager students from government high school, Valayankulam were seen jotting the information they had gleaned from the exhibts. “Our teachers brought us to have a look and we are very thrilled,” commented Roobarani, another school student.

The visitors, including students, had a tough time reaching the station as they had to negotiate the uneven road without proper metal tops. The access roads are poor and moreover the entry is confusing, said a school teacher from Valayankulam government school. The school vans have to navigate a dirt road nearby the Kudalpudur bridge to reach the station. It will be good if the railway authorities construct proper roads since many of the exhibition trains are stationed at Kudal Nagar regularly, the visitors said.

When contacted ADRM, V Ajithkumar said that the proposal to improve the roads is on anvil since the station was declared as Adarsh station recently. “We are working on the proposal and the station will be provided more facilities including roads in future,” he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Government School / by TNN / August 09th, 2013