Bhubaneswar: The Pathani Samanta Planetarium, the third-largest planetarium in India, has remained non-functional for more than a month due to technical issues, causing inconvenience to visitors, especially students during the summer vacation.
The suspension of shows has left many school and college students disappointed as they continue to return from the facility without being able to attend screenings. Before the shutdown, the planetarium used to conduct shows in Odia, Hindi and English daily between 2 pm and 6 pm.
Authorities at the planetarium have displayed a notice informing visitors that the shows have been suspended due to technical problems. Staff members said they have no clear information about when the services will resume. According to reports, the shows have remained suspended since April 21, with no visible progress in repairing the system so far.
Observers have alleged that recurring technical failures at the planetarium have long been neglected. Equipment breakdowns are reportedly frequent, while repair and restoration work often takes months to complete.
Planetarium Director Urmiprabha Maharana said a memorandum of understanding has already been signed for the upgradation of the facility. She informed that a technical team had visited the planetarium to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the renovation work, which is expected to be ready by next month.
She further stated that the air conditioning plant required to operate the shows has become defunct, forcing authorities to halt screenings. A work order for repairs is likely to be issued to the concerned agency this week, and restoring the system may take around a month, she added.
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