Soon at Asola Bhatti sanctuary, e-cycles and golf carts on rent for visitors
A senior official of the forest department said the specifics on how many people would be allowed into the sanctuary at one time as well as the pathways that will be made available are still being worked out.
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The Neeli Jheel is a lake formed in what was once a mining pit The Delhi Forest Department is in the process of procuring electric cycles and golf carts to enable visits to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.
A senior official of the forest department said the specifics on how many people would be allowed into the sanctuary at one time as well as the pathways that will be made available are still being worked out. “All of these vehicles will be electric and visitors will be able to rent them. While a final decision on the number of people that will be allowed into the sanctuary is yet to be taken, it will be a very conservative figure,” the official said.
In October, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena dedicated to the public four artificial waterfalls at the Neeli Jheel and directed officials to develop a cafeteria and public toilets besides deploying electric vehicles for visitors to the jheel as part of turning the area into an ‘eco-tourism’ hub. The Neeli Jheel is a lake formed in what was once a mining pit and is an important source of water for wildlife in the sanctuary, which includes leopards and hyenas.
The proposal for these ‘eco-tourism’ facilities is limited as of now, the official said. “While final preparation is yet to be done, the proposal involves walks and taking cycles through some parts of the sanctuary. No new pathways are being created, and the jungle won’t be disturbed. Steps made of natural material are nearing completion close to the Neeli Jheel as a sort of viewing point…as of now, we are not allowing anything new that was not allowed earlier,” the official said.
Tender documents show that the forest department intends to purchase 60 electric cycles at an estimated cost of around Rs 39 lakh. A separate tender has been issued to hire six electric golf carts along with six drivers for a year at an estimated cost of around Rs 54 lakh. Tender documents for golf carts indicate that they are likely to be operational for around 10 hours per day for 26 days a month. A charging station will also have to be installed for the carts.
A source said cycle tracks, signages, and a few cycles were already available at the sanctuary, but prices to rent them were yet to be fixed. Private vehicles are being allowed into the sanctuary up to Neeli Jheel, the source said.
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