Assam State Zoo to get major facelift

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The Assam Tribune, Guwahati 6th October, 2005

Link: www.assamtribune.com

 

Assam State Zoo to get major facelift

 

By R Dutta Choudhury

GUWAHATI, Oct 5

The Assam State Zoo is all set for a major

facelift with the State Government sanctioning an amount of Rs one

crore for the purpose and the problems faced by the elderly persons

and children in moving around the zoo would be eased out with the

introduction of special battery-operated cars. Chief Minister Tarun

Gogoi yesterday announced a the special grant, which would be

provided from the State's own resources and the award received from

the 12th Finance Commission and the Minister of State for Forest,

Pradyut Bordoloi said today that the parking lot of the zoo and the

enclosures would be improved soon.

 

The DFO of the State zoo, Narayan Mahanta said that a detailed plan

for improvement of the parking lot is ready and that would be done

with proper landscaping. He revealed that steps would be taken to

develop the area as a garden with proper lighting and the department

is thinking of establishing a restaurant and a souvenir shop and the

whole idea is to turn the area as a tourist spot even after 5 pm

when the zoo closes. Efforts would also be made to arrange for

documentary shows on the zoo like how the animals are kept, how they

are fed and treated etc. If the plan comes through, the revenue

collected would increase considerably.

 

Mahanta revealed that steps have been initiated to introduce battery-

operated cars in collaboration with a private party to facilitate

movement of visitors inside the zoo. He said that the battery-

operated cars would not create any noise or air pollution and such

vehicles are being used in Delhi and Mysore zoos to facilitate the

movement of the visitors. At the initial stage, one such eight-seat

vehicle would be brought from Bangalore and the private party would

operate the same and the zoo would get a percentage of the earning.

 

The zoo DFO said that about five lakh visitors come to the zoo every

year and the total revenue collection is around Rs 50 lakh. However,

the money is not rolled for the development of the zoo and a

proposal in this regard is under consideration of the State

Government. The total expenditure of the zoo is about Rs three crore

a year and Rs 1.50 crore is required only for providing food to the

animals. Mahanta said that for proper maintenance including painting

of the enclosures, about Rs 30 lakh a year is required every year

and if the Government allows the rolling of the revenue generated,

the problem would ease out considerably. He asserted that there is

no shortage of food and medicine for the animals at this moment,

despite the fact that zoo is facing a problem of overcrowding as the

rescued animals are sent to the zoo. Giving one such example, he

said that the zoo now has 13 bears but the space available for the

same is very limited.

 

Giving an account of other new schemes being implemented in the zoo,

Mahanta said that a full-fledged veterinary hospital is being

constructed in the zoo and that would be formally opened shortly. He

revealed that visitors' sheds, drinking water facilities would be

made available in the zoo in a phased manner, while, the enclosures

are also being renovated.

 

Mahanta said that discussions are on with Thailand to bring three

chimpanzees and a clouded leopard, but at the same time, he admitted

that official procedures for the same would take some time to

complete.

 

Meanwhile, the Forest Minister said that with the Rs five crore

additional amount to be provided to the department, steps would be

taken for infrastructure development inside the reserve forests. He

said that the camps, quarters and patrolling paths inside the

reserve forests are in bad shape, which affected patrolling and

there have been instances where forest personnel are forced to live

outside the forests because of the failure to provide necessary

facilities to them. He said that the Government has made it

mandatory for the forest personnel to stay at the places of their

posting and the funds made available would be utilised to ease their

problems. He revealed that according to the latest report of the

Forest Survey of India, the forest cover of the state has increased

to 36.7 percent of the total geographical area from 30 percent in

1998-99.

 

The Minister also revealed that a Rs 25 crore project has been

submitted to the Government of India for development of the water

bodies of the state and the Centre is likely to sanction a part of

the project shortly.