Plan for zoo at Aarey Colony gets a fillip

Sandeep Ashar, TNN Mar 31, 2011, 05.39am IST

MUMBAI: The much-publicised zoological park of international standards at Aarey Milk Colony may finally see the light of the day.

State forest minister Patangrao Kadam said on Wednesday that the dairy department had agreed to part with 200 acres of land for the zoo which got the CM's nod in 2008, but has been delayed for want of central clearances and acquisition of land required. The state government has set aside Rs 8 crore for the project in 2011-12 budget, indicating that its implementation could begin this fiscal.

According to the plan, a park where birds, reptiles and marine animals would be kept in enclosures similar to their natural habitat has been proposed at Goregaon. Most of the park will come up on land owned by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (forest department) but a part of it will be built on dairy land.

Kadam made the announcement during a discussion in the state assembly. BJP MLA Devendra Phadanvis initiated it with a demand for expediting various clearances for another international zoo proposed at Gorewada in Nagpur.Phadanvis said that the central zoo authority had in November 2009 stipulated meeting of ten conditions to issue a clearance to the project, the plan of which has been finalised. Terming the project as crucial for the socio and economic development of the state, in general, and Nagpur, in particular, Phadanvis demanded that all the roadblocks be cleared and the conditions fulfilled. Kadam assured the member that his department will expedite the process. The government has set aside Rs 20 crore towards the Gorewada project, whose total worth is Rs720 crore, for 2011-12.