FINALLY, WORK has begun on the only park of its kind in the world at the Gheru campus of the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC) following a news item published in HT Lucknow Live on March 17 (above) headlined SWIM Park needs a lifesaver. Operation Clean, mooted by the Institute scientists, will help clear weeds and wild plants.
The HT Lucknow Live report had highlighted negligence of the park on the part of the ITRC. The park had fallen on bad days after the transfer of Prof YK Gupta, the ‘father’ of the park. Wild plants and trees had grown all over the park. The park has been developed out of scientific waste and was being visualised as a ‘knowledge tourism base’ of India.
The special models at the park include rodents made from metal sheets that were earlier used as waste trays for mice, a robot designed out of a waste sterilizer and metal racks modelled to represent DNA strands.
Soon after its inauguration on August 30, 2004, by Director General, Centre for Science & Industrial Research (CSIR), RA Mashelkar, the SWIM Park attained popularity among school children to try their hands at creating a number of models from waste provided by ITRC. However, since the last-one-and-a half years, there has been a lack of initiative on the part of the ITRC to encourage schools and young scientists to try their hands at creating models.
“Though the work for cleaning up the park has been started but the pace is slow,” said one of the scientists. ‘Papita Park’ adjacent to the main park is also in a shambles and needs proper attention.
{{/usCountry}}“Though the work for cleaning up the park has been started but the pace is slow,” said one of the scientists. ‘Papita Park’ adjacent to the main park is also in a shambles and needs proper attention.
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