State announces modernisation of heritage structure

The Government Museum in Egmore is all set for a revamp, if the host of announcements made in the Assembly on Wednesday are any indication.

The damaged portion of the heritage compound wall is being renovated with wire-cut bricks and red sand stone material, at a cost of nearly Rs. 1 crore, Minister for School Education N.R. Sivapathi told the Assembly. The state government, he said, has already released Rs. 1 crore for purchase of five generator sets that would ensure uninterrupted power supply at the facility.

The Government of India has sanctioned Rs. 8.5 crore towards modernisation of galleries, of which work amounting to a cost of Rs. 3.93 crore has been completed so far.

A sum of Rs. 50 lakh will be spent on enhancing facilities at the children's museum. A 3D theatre will be set up in the Government Museum, for which a floor plan has been sent to ELCOT.

The botanical display section at the museum will be modernised at a cost of Rs. 27 lakh. The geological gallery will also get a facelift with new showcases, life size fibre glass models and working models, at a cost of Rs. 28 lakh.

The government is also taking steps to display the reserve collection of Amaravati sculptures, at a cost of Rs. 13 lakh. The museum will soon have improved drinking water facility, too.

The state government has also proposed to introduce more visual displays on the campus. In addition to offering a mini virtual tour on www.chennaimuseum.org, it has planned to develop a full-fledged virtual museum, with a 360-degree viewing facility from certain important spots. The virtual tour will be launched shortly.

Highlighting some of the initiatives taken up at the museum recently, the Minister said an interpretation board had been installed in over 25 trees, with details of ‘Fruit bats', or Indian flying foxes. The 60-feet whale skeleton, an attraction at the museum, has been fitted with metal halide lights. Also, internal roads leading to the museum have been repaired.