Toeing the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) line,the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has come up with a fresh master plan for the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan (Byculla Zoo) revamp project,a toned down version of the initially proposed ambitious plans,which it is confident will meet the approval of all concerned. In May,while finally rejecting the first master plan proposed by the BMC even after it had undergone various revisions for almost four years,the CZA had laid down some guidelines to be adhered to while drawing up a fresh plan. We have prepared a new plan as per the guidelines set by the CZA,which we presented to Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar as well as Additional Municipal Commissioner Aseem Gupta,both have given their approval with minor modifications, said a senior official after a meeting with the civic officials on Wednesday. We will send the master plan to the CZA within a week as well as to the Mumbai Heritage Conservation committee (MHCC). We are confident that we will get the approvals as we have stuck to the guidelines. The work of tendering and design will begin immediately post approval, said the official. The plan,drawn up by Bangkok-based HKS Designer and Consultancy,will maintain the historical green space of the zoo in its entirety and will not disturb the biodiversity and the heritage structure precinct as prescribed by the CZA. The garden area will be retained and there will be no change in the road alignment. The future development of the enclosures will be around the existing ones and there will be no open-mooted enclosures. The enclosure dimensions will be as specified by the CZA, said the zoo official. Another demand by the CZA stated the enclosures should be as close to the natural habitat of the animal as possible. Under the new plan,the theme of the zoo will be Living Together. As the animals co-exist in nature,so they will do here, said the official. For the design of enclosures,the emphasis will be on enrichment of the animal. All the biological,physiological,behavioural and other needs of an animal will be fulfilled by the enclosure design, the official added. Another sticking point in the previous master plan was the inclusion of certain exotic species in the Animal Collection Plan,which was rejected by the CZA. The authority had asked the zoo to concentrate on existing species and the exotic species approved by it. The CZA has approved 18 Indian and five exotic species. Except hyena,porcupine,samba,palm civet,emu and hippopotamus,the rest will have to be procured from Indian or foreign zoos, said the official. The first phase of the project will include work on the enclosures of hyena,jackal,wolf,sloth bear,wild dog,porcupine,swamp deer,samba,asiatic lion,bengal tiger,leopard cat,jungle cat,common civet,large Indian civet and most probably jaguar and humboldt penguin. In this phase,we will also begin shifting the existing species from the zoo,such as elephants and rhinoceros. Our first preference is zoos,then the wild and if that is also not possible,well retain them in the holding area, said the official. A magar and crocodile pond,snake house and Madras turtle pond will also be constructed in this phase. The second phase will see the construction of an aviary if the elephants are transferred to sanctuaries,national parks or tiger reserves by then. The enclosures for species remaining from the first phase will be completed in the third phase.
