Will pursue spider museum closure issue: Mungantiwar Amravati: Former forest minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar on Monday criticized Melghat Tiger Reserve officials for secretly closing India’s first National Museum of Spiders, established in 2018 at the Forest Training Institute in Chikhaldara. Mungantiwar expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, noting that with only two days remaining in the Maharashtra legislature session, a formal motion to address the issue could not be introduced due to the required three-day notice period. He stated he would continue pushing for resolution through direct communication with relevant authorities. Speaking to The Times of India over the phone, Mungantiwar, who had inaugurated the museum, criticized the officials for their reluctance to engage with the public, suggesting they lacked confidence in the museum’s value to visitors.#the_times_of_india #sudhir_mungantiwar #chikhaldara #melghat_tiger_reserve #maharashtra_legislature
Chikhaldara’s Spider Museum Lost in Bureaucratic Cobweb India’s first national spider museum, established in 2018 at the Forest Training Institute (FTI) in Chikhaldara with the aim of boosting tourism and research on spiders, has reportedly vanished into bureaucratic neglect. Arachnologist Dr. Atul Bodkhe, who has studied the museum’s history, confirmed that the facility no longer exists. “There is no trace of the museum at FTI,” he said. “The hall has been converted into a classroom, and the rare spider species preserved there are missing.” The museum was initiated by late Prof. GN Wankhade, a renowned arachnologist, and was intended to highlight the biodiversity of spiders in Melghat, a region known for its vast spider populations. Maharashtra’s then-finance and forest minister, Sudhir Mungantiwar, had publicly praised the museum and assured funding for a dedicated building. According to Bodkhe, the state government had sanctioned Rs37 crore for FTI infrastructure, with Rs3.5 crore allocated specifically for the museum. However, the forest department reportedly redirected the funds to develop FTI’s infrastructure instead of constructing the museum. Prof. Kishore Rithe, head of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and a key figure in the museum’s creation, expressed regret over its closure. “It’s very unfortunate that the museum has been shut down,” he said. “The forest department should have signed a memorandum of understanding with a dedicated NGO or institute to ensure technical expertise and manpower.” Rithe criticized the lack of follow-up from authorities, arguing that they failed to safeguard the facility’s long-term survival.#chikhaldara #forest_training_institute #dr_atul_bodkhe #prof_gn_wankhade #sudhir_mungantiwar
