Devendra Fadnavis to perform Bhoomi Poojan of Mulund aviary tomorrow

“The work order has been issued over and above the base amount that was mentioned in the tender, since the process of inviting bids was extended three times and to ensure that there was no further cost escalation and delay the work orders were issued at the said price following strict negotiation, since the bidders had initially demanded around 17-19 per cent hike above the mentioned base price in the tender,” an official told The Indian Express.

Civic officials said that the construction work will start immediately, with a 2028 target deadline.

Mihir Kotecha, the BJP MLA from Mulund, said that the park will be spread across a total area of 17,958 square meters and operate as a sub-centre of the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Vanaspati Udyan and Zoo (Ranibaug) at Byculla.

“After 110 years, Mumbai will be getting a new aviary in Mulund. The British established the first zoo in Mumbai over a century ago, and now, in independent India, this will be the first such facility–a bird park–to be set up in the city,” Kotecha said. The citizens of Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, which now have a population of nearly 25 lakh, as well as residents of Navi Mumbai and Thane, will greatly benefit from this bird park, he added. “It will also become a major tourist attraction,” Kotecha stated.

22 bird species on display

According to the tender document, the facilities will have 22 different species of birds, including Sun Conure, Golden Conure, Eclectus Parrot, African Grey Parrot, Ostrich, Toco Toucan and Black Swan, among others.

For accommodating birds like pelicans, ducks, cranes and ostriches, the authorities will also create dedicated holding areas that will comprise artificial water bodies and similar objects replicating their natural habitats.

Officials said that while the selected bidder will be responsible for constructing and maintaining the facility, it will be the responsibility of the zoo administration to acquire birds for the facility.

The aviary will be divided into multiple sections, including the Africa Zone, Australia Zone, USA Zone, among others. These zones will specifically house birds from these regions. Alongside this, the aviary will also have an interpretation centre for bird watchers and ornithologists.

“We will maintain a dedicated life support system (LSS) which will be responsible for the maintenance of a healthy and stable environment for the birds in the enclosure by ensuring optimal water quality, filtration, temperature regulation and nutrient balance,” an official said.

Besides this, the facility will also have a seating area, an amphitheatre with walkways, as well as a restaurant. The interpretation centre will include artificial rockwork and thematic representation of multiple cultures. Inside the aviary, the authorities will construct an artificial waterfall.

“Each enclosure will replicate its natural habitat. The facility will be equipped with ample green cover since the idea is to transform this space into a recreation hub for citizens,” said a civic official.

The BMC’s tender stated that the facility will also house a hospital for the treatment of birds, along with a dedicated quarantine facility.