Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (SR)

Mumbai, Jul  11: The Maharashtra government has approved and allocated ?30 crore for the construction of first solar powered museum in India dedicated to marine mammals. The museum will be named ''Giants of the Sea'' and will come at the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre in Airoli, Navi Mumbai.

Dr Kailash Chandra, director, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) confirmed that this would be the first museum in India dedicated to marine mammals. He told Hindustan times that “The museum and marine interpretation centre will help in three ways – research, conservation and citizen awareness. Skeletal remains of more marine animals need to be brought to this centre to build a repository of different types of species, and build a time scale of how they were stranded along the Indian coastline.”

N Vasudevan, additional principal chief conservator of forest, state mangrove cell, told HT that the museum will display skeletal remains of endangered marine species such as the Bryde’s whale, sperm whale, Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins and finless porpoises. There will be a separate area for the skeletal remains of turtles. 

The state mangrove cell is currently preparing the design of the five-acre complex, of which two acres will be for the museum. Vasudevan said “We will be investing ?10 crore this year initiating basic construction of the project, and another ?20 crore by next year. The project will be complete by end 2020.” 

Major attraction in the museum will be a 40-foot-long skeleton of a male Bryde’s whale which had washed ashore in Mumbai in 2016, and a 25-foot-long male sperm whale that had washed ashore at Sindhudurg in 2012. The museum was first first proposed in January 2017 and was to be completed by December 2017. “There was a delay due to inadequate resources, non-availability of funds and a comprehensive plan. Approvals are in place after all three aspects have been addressed,” said Vasudevan.