National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Delhi
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In a state of neglect
The Times of India, Apr 27 2016
Neglected by the government, despite many watchdog bodies questioning its functioning over the years, the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) was witnessing a constant fall in footfalls. Some exasperated visitors said it was in a “fossilised“ state. No wonder, it wasn't a big draw with children unless it was an unavoidable school visit.
In 2012, Parliament's public accounts committee had said the museum had an “amateurish“ display and didn't focus on current issues like climate change, desertification and depletion of ozone layer. As reported by TOI in April 2012, it was locked in a dispute with Ficci which had been asking it to move out.
The display depended heavily on stuffed animals with little interactive material to keep children engaged. Most of the display items were borrowed from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Kolkata. Among the important specimens were a sauropod fe mur bone and an ammonite fossil, an extinct marine mollusc. It was, perhaps, the only one in India. The staff members are now hoping that at least the fossils would survive the inferno.
The biggest loss would be destruction of the taxidermy specimens. According to VG Gogate, a scientist at the ministry of environment and forests, who led taxidermy pro jects at the museum between 1976 and 1998, there is only one taxidermist practising in India now. “The art is dead now.It started dying after hunting and trade in wildlife was banned. Though there are many in the government who claim to know taxidermy , they are not trained and can never do it properly . Each and every display item at NMNH is important and irreplaceable. The museum was created as a mouthpiece of the government on environment and conservation. And it did receive a lot of adulation,“ said Gogate. He led most taxidermy projects and was behind the making of several stuffed animals. Gogate, who was at the Iraq Natural History Museum in Baghdad before joining NMNH, recollected that one of the most important specimens that may have been lost is a partly melanistic tiger skin.
Interestingly , since 1978 there has been talk of shifting the museum from the rented premises of the Ficci building.“Bhairon Marg was considered but there was a drainage pipe under that area and certain constructions were prohibited. Then another site near Millenium Park was zeroed on but an overhead electricity line meant a tall building could not have been built. So, the relocation never happened,“ observed Gogate. Most staffers from the 80s and 90s say the dispute with Ficci had led to the diminishing popularity of the museum. “They would ask us to keep the museum shut when they had any programmes. There was no parking for school buses, no parking for visitors,“ said a former scientist who declined to be quoted.
Asif Naqvi, former scientist and curator of zoology , recollects that NMNH used to be a hangout for some of the leading environmentalists and filmmakers of today . “Salim Ali, M S Swaminathan, Ashish Kothari, Mike Pandey and Vandana Shiva were among those who used to frequently visit NMNH. Many from National School of Drama would drop in to watch the film screenings, usually held at 11 am and 3 pm. Everyone will vouch that it was the first museum to be so active and to focus so seriously on conservation,“ said Naqvi. An environmentalist who didn't want to be quoted said “It's the mini stry's neglect. Natural history museums are incredible places for education...“
In the 80s and 90s, there were lots of projects at NMNH in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History in New York and Carnegie Museum of Natural History .“Many of our scientists had travelled to the US to get, learn and share information,“ said Naqvi adding that NMNH scientists would often participate in identifying species and in research related to ecology .
Most animals for the stuffed models used to be sourced from zoos. Recently , when a giant blue whale beached on Revdanda beach near Alibaug, NMNH scientists were trying to get its bones for display at the museum. “The 42foot skeleton could have made a fascinating display item,“ B Venugopal, director, had told TOI recently . But on Tuesday after the fire, he didn't take any calls .
