City museums under culture ministry to reopen on November 10

Four museums in the city, including Victoria Memorial and Indian Museum, under the Union Ministry of Culture, will reopen from November 10 after being closed for around eight months due to the pandemic.

The museums were shut since a nationwide lockdown was announced in March to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Victoria Memorial, an iconic structure built in early 20th century, will reopen with all standard Covid-19 safety protocols in place, curator Jayanta Sengupta told PTI on Sunday.

"Visitors will be allowed from 11 am to 5 pm every day and apart from contactless online ticketing through QR code, tickets will be sold at the counter for those not having access to a smartphone. However we will encourage online purchasing of tickets," Sengupta said.

At a time 500 persons will be allowed on the lawns and not more than 200 people will be allowed to go inside the museum and watch the priceless objects in the gallery, he said.

"People visiting the museum will have to undergo sanitisation, thermal screening and maintain social distancing. None will be allowed entry without masks," Sengupta said.

Director-General of National Council of Science Museums which runs Science City and the officiating Director of Indian Museum, Kolkata, A D Choudhury said, as per the directive of the Union ministry, both the venues will open from November 10.

"As of now, we have decided that Science City will be open for shorter hours from 10 am to 6 pm instead of 9 am to 8 pm. We will take the next steps after real-time monitoring of the visitors on CCTV and ensure that there is no crowding at the galleries," Choudhury said.

The same drill will be followed in Indian Museum where entry of visitors to different halls will be regulated and not many people will be allowed inside big halls at a time, he said.

The Birla Industrial and Technological Museum, an important landmark for science enthusiasts, will also be reopening with Covid-19 secure measures in place, a spokesman said.

"There will be measures like online ticketing facility, compulsory temperature-screening of all visitors during entry, mandatory use of face covers/masks at all times, foot-operated hand-sanitiser dispensing facility, provision for disposable gloves and touch-free exhibit operation in galleries," the spokesman said.