The oldest Science Museum in India, the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM), a Unit of the National Council of Science Museums, Ministry of Culture, Government of India inaugurated its upgraded mock-up coal mine on October 18, 2023. Giving visitors an idea of how coal mining works in the real fields, this mock–up coal mine gives a fair idea of the practicality of the work done.
Special guests for the inauguration included Director BITM, Subhabrata Chaudhuri; Chief Guest Sutirtha Bhattacharya, IAS (Retd.), Former Chairman and Managing Director, Coal India Limited; Guests of Honour, Gautam Dhar, Former Executive Director, Coal India Ltd.; T. K. Nag, Former CMD, Northern Coalfields Limited and Vijay Sagar, Media Advisor to Chairman, Coal India Limited.
Director Chaudhuri comments on the occasion of the inauguration, “BITM has been primarily furthering the cause of Science communication by bridging the gap between Science and people, making one science conscious. The new mock-up coal mine hosts over 60 exhibits and is demonstration dependent.”
The guests along with school students went for the maiden tour of the newly opened exhibit. They were enlightened on the safety kits and precautions taken while going underground, much emphasis was given to the ceiling height and instruments that measure the durability of the ceiling, lest it comes crumbling down, the various machines used for cutting coal, the methods of coal mining, and much more.
Spread over 540 sq.m, the space houses over 60 exhibits and is a one–of–its–kind coal mine operational with upgrades since 1983. The facility 2023 has been upgraded with telescopic and suspension convergence indicators, a portable hydraulic banding machine, and an anchorage testing machine.
The mock-up coal mine promises an experience and not just education. It is open to all at a nominal fee of Rs 15 with further discounts for group visits and free for those below the poverty line.