CZA final nod for Byculla Zoo revamp in 17 days

“We will hold a committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss the modified plan we have received,” CZA Member-Secretary B R Sharma said. “Our final remark will be given on July 23,” he said. After the CZA’s final nod,the makeover will have just one more hurdle to cross — a last approval from MHCC.

Two years after the plan was first prepared,MHCC had given its nod to the project on June 11 after issuing a 11-point condition. While Afzalpurkar refused to reveal the conditions stating that it was an internal issue,he said that they were on the lines of: 1) preserving the existing green cover,2) preserving the percentage of green area available to public 3) carrying on traditional activities like the existing nursery as well as the fruit and the flower shows,4) retaining the axil planning of the garden,which is in Renaissance style  and 5) retaining the heritage structures like the clock tower,the Bhau Daji Lad museum building  and the temple arch.

The CZA had given its first ‘conditional go-ahead’ last March,while stipulating that no tree be felled and no heritage structure be disturbed in the process.

The CZA officials said,“We had asked the zoo authorities to tweak their plan minimally in keeping with a few conditions. On Tuesday,our panel will review the latest master plan and ensure all our recommendation are followed.”

To be built in four phases,the new zoo will have about 98 newer species of animals including foreign ones listed in Schedule I of endangered species like the cheetah,orangutans and the Malay sun bears.

Earlier planned to have a night safari,the zoo was later modified as a straight day zoo with educative programmes like children’s exploration centers,theme gardens and viewing shelters or glass cabins from where people can take a closer look at the animals. Zoo officials stated that the plan was also tweaked to spare,ensuring that none of the vegetation is cut or destroyed in the makeover.