Bal Bhavan beckons with new edu centre

By Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: Here is good news for children, who visit the Jawahar Bal Bhavan at Cubbon Park in future. An environment education and entertainment centre is being developed at the Bhavan.

The Bangalore Smart City Limited (BSCL), in consultation with Bal Bhavan Society, is developing the centre to make the Bhavan an education hub for environment and biological sciences with practical modules and activities. “We will establish modules on sustainable living to educate children on how we live in harmony with nature,’’ said Panchakshari Hiremath of Nature First Eco Village.

Hiremath is planning a centre that will have oxygen- emitting trees, shrubs and plants that attract birds and butterflies.

“Children will become aware of the importance of trees in reducing pollution and how birds and butterflies play an important role in pollination,’’ he said.

According to him, the staff of Bal Bhavan would be trained on creating awareness among children who visit the centre. The BSCL is planning to have herbal and medicinal gardens to make children understand healthy living and natural remedies and cures. “We will also have endangered and endemic species of the Western Ghats to explain the importance of biodiversity to children,’’ he said. The centre would have models of rain water harvesting and borewell recharge to help children understand water conservation and harvesting. It will have kitchen waste to composting and biogas models to explain recycling of resources, and models on eco/bio fridges for natural living and saving power. It will also have models on small windmills and solar energy for residential use to underline the importance of renewable energy.

“We want to develop many entertainment facilities where children can learn while playing,’’ he said. Meanwhile, BSCL assistant engineer Shri Gowri said they expect all the ongoing work to be completed in a few months. BSCL executive engineer Chandrasekhar said efforts have been made to make the centre a favorite destination for children who want to learn about the environment. Bal Bhavan Society chairman Chikkamma Basavaraj said the centre would be an added attraction for children who visit the Bhavan.