Punjab to spend
Rs 38 crore, may rope in PIDB to upgrade facilities at the zoo in PPP
mode.
Zebras, giraffes, chimpanzees, jaguar,
rhinoceros and lambs these are some of the animals on the purchasing
list of the Punjab Forest department for the famous Chattbir Zoo.
Sources said a detailed proposal had been made
for upgrade of the zoo at the cost of Rs 38 crore.
The proposal will be discussed in a meeting of
the Forest department on Monday.
According to the proposal, the department plans
to buy these animals from African countries and ostrich and kangaroo
from Australia. Around Rs 1 crore will be spent on purchasing these
animals.
Also, the department plans to get four Asiatic
lions from the Jaipur zoo.
“According to the rules, we cannot buy these
animals in India. It is banned by the Union government. So, these
animals will be bought from abroad,” a zoo official said. “We will get
four Asiatic lions from the Jaipur zoo. The Union government has
agreed to that and we have received a communication in this regard.”
“At present, there are only about ten lions in
the Lion Safari in the zoo. These are old and cannot reproduce, as
they were sterilised. The new ones will be able to reproduce,” the
official added.
A senior official confirmed that there have been
unofficial talks about upgradation of the zoo. For the purpose, the
Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) can be roped in so that
the upgrade work can start on public-private-partnership (PPP) mode,
the official said.
According to sources, the department has
proposed to acquire the land behind the zoo, which touches the Ghaggar
river. This land belongs to the zoo — its administrative control is
with the District Forest Officer, Patiala.
It has been proposed to develop this land for
eco-tourism with an expenditure of around Rs 6 crore. Among other
works, a 3,000-metre fence has to be raised around the land.Further,
it has been proposed that the biggest zoo in North India be made a
‘no-vehicle zone’ and that authorities should buy battery-operated
vehicles to ferry visitors inside the zoo.
It has also been proposed that the eight
kilometre road network inside the zoo be re-carpeted and strengthened,
and footpaths be constructed along them last time, these roads were
upgraded in 1986.
Also, footpaths are needed along the cages of
the animals.
Among other proposals include the plan to spend
around Rs 95 lakh on renovation of the inspection hut, where VVIPs
stay during their visit to the zoo.
Also, the staff quarters, which are thirty years
old, need repairs.
There are also plans to create 248 posts to
augment the strength of the staff.
Forest dept
proposals on the table today
* Acquire the land behind the zoo and develop it for eco-tourism at a
cost of Rs 6 crore
* Make zoo a ‘no vehicle zone’
* Buy battery-operated vehicles for visitors
* Re-carpet the 8 km road network inside the zoo
* Construct and strengthen footpaths along the roads and cages
* Construct an animal information centre at a cost of Rs 50 lakh
* Change the electricity supply system installed in 1977
* Dig three more tublewells and increase the capacity of the present
three tube wells inside the zoo
* Construct more visitor sheds, toilets and better drinking water
facilities
* Renovate the inspection hut, where VVIPs stay, and staff quarters at
a cost of Rs 95 lakh
