Mumbai to get Singapore-styled bird park at Nahur, BMC floats Rs 166 crore tender

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Friday floated an ambitious Rs 166 crore tender to construct an exotic bird park or aviary at Nahur in the eastern suburbs. This aviary will house exotic as well as indigenous birds.

According to the civic authorities, the aviary is being planned on the lines of Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park, which is a massive crowd puller and houses 400 species of birds.

At present, there is an aviary inside the Byculla Zoo (Rani Baug) in Mumbai. Civic officials said that after the proposed facility becomes operational at Nahur, some of the birds from Rani Baug will be transferred to the second centre, while new birds will also be procured for the facility.

The proposed centre will be an extended recreational space for residents of Mumbai, as it will comprise a lush green public garden along with a swimming pool, basketball court, and tennis court.

The proposal of constructing an aviary was mooted last year. Following this, two different proposals were sent to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for acquiring birds as well as for the approval of the layout of this park.

“This park will be dedicated specifically for birds and is going to be a massive crowd puller once it becomes operational. The plan seeks to develop zones of different continents where the birds of that particular zone will be kept. These zones will emulate the habitat and the cultural aspects of the different regions, which will also educate the visitors,” said an official.

The aviary will be sprawled over an area of 17,150 square metres or 6.5 acres, and the BMC has set up a 24-month contract period with a target to open this facility by early 2028. The aviary will be divided into multiple sections, including the Africa Zone, Australia Zone, and the 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.

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According to the tender document, the facilities will have 22 different species of birds, and some of the birds that will be housed in the aviary include – Sun Conure, Golden Conure, Eclectus Parrot, African Grey Parrot, Ostrich, Toco Toucan, and Black Swan, among others. Besides housing the birds, the project will also include heavy infrastructure work, which includes the construction of an underground parking system that will operate automatically with the help of rotors. The tender document states that this facility will be able to accommodate 60 cars at a time.

For accommodating birds like Pelican, Ducks, Crane, and Ostrich, the authorities will also create dedicated holding areas that will comprise artificial water bodies and similar objects replicating the natural habitat of these birds.

“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.

Earlier on April, a review meeting was held by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis following a request by Mulund MLA Mihir Kotecha to discuss and fast-track the project. Following this, the state government’s Urban Development (UD) Department modified the reservation of the Mulund plot to “Zoo” for the proposed Bird Park.

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“We are even exploring collaboration with Singapore’s renowned Jurong Bird Park to help us create a truly world-class facility. The citizens of the 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. It will also emerge as a major tourist attraction,” said Kotecha.

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

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

Name of the project: Aviary at Mulund

Cost of the project: Rs 166 crore

Timeline: To be operational by 2028

Birds that the facility will house (area of origin):

Sun Conure (South America)

Golden Conure (Amazon Basin)

Green Peafowl (South East Asia)

Silver Pheasant (Southern China)

White Cockatiel (Australia)

Golden Pheasant (Western China)

Green Pheasant (Japan)