Pune Municipal Corporation to Reopen Sahakarnagar Planetarium After Four-Year Hiatus
Sahakar Nagar, 28th February 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has approved a proposal to reopen the planetarium at the E-Learning School in Sahakar Nagar, which has been closed for the past four years due to lack of maintenance. The decision was made during a standing committee meeting yesterday.
The planetarium, initially built for Rs 2 crore to educate school children about space, planets, and stars, will be revived with a budget of Rs 61.65 lakh allocated for its operation and maintenance over the next five years. A specialized agency has been appointed to restart the facility, create new shows, and handle its upkeep.
Originally equipped with a server and software from FullDome Pro company, the planetarium had been non-operational due to lack of updates. The newly appointed agency will be responsible for inspecting and repairing the existing equipment, including hardware and software, as well as creating fresh content for the facility.
The revival plan includes the development of 27 new shows in Marathi, Hindi, and English languages. For the first year, Rs 33 lakh will be spent on restarting the planetarium, followed by an annual maintenance cost of Rs 6.96 lakh for the subsequent four years.
PMC officials have stated their intention to have the planetarium operational by the upcoming summer vacation, providing an educational and entertaining experience for students and space enthusiasts in Pune.
