Science Exp chugs in amid chaos
Being a day off for schools, colleges and offices, it seemed like a large number of science enthusiasts had the same weekend plan.
Bengaluru: It took hardly any time for the situation to go from deserted to festive to utter turmoil at the Kengeri railway station on Saturday. The Science Express, which arrived at the station for a two-day exhibition, saw a crowd of over 50,000 visitors in a matter of two to three hours.
Being a day off for schools, colleges and offices, it seemed like a large number of science enthusiasts had the same weekend plan. Ironically, the police had not scientifically planned crowd control measures.
The 13-bogey Science Express was stationed on Platform No. 4, quite far from the main entrance. But that did not deter students, parents and teachers, who were seen avoiding the over-bridge and risking their lives by crossing the tracks to reach the train. The railway personnel, few in number, had a tough time trying to ensure the safety of visitors and to control the milling crowds.
Things only got worse when another function commenced on Platform No. 1 at the station. The oath-taking ceremony, organised by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Karnataka Forest Department, saw more students and volunteers flocking into the station.
Around 30 policemen each from the Kengeri traffic and law and order stations were struggling to bring some sense of order. The spill-over effect was a massive traffic jam on the busy Mysuru-Bengaluru highway, which runs just outside the station.
The exhibition-on-rails, themed on climate change and control, arrived at the station from Whitefield on Friday. It will be stationed there till Sunday.