NEW DELHI: Delhi zoo reopened for public on Thursday after remaining closed for almost a year due to the lockdown. However, a limited number of visitors were allowed to enter while the tickets were being sold online only. However, some visitors faced several problems as they didn’t get the OTP to validate the payment, while payments of others failed.
Before the reopening, Zoo Director Ramesh Kumar Pandey informed that preparations are being made to welcome the visitors back after a long time. “The tourists as well as the staff were excited about opening of the zoo. We had done preparations regarding the same. We are also trying to ensure that social distancing is maintained” said Pandey.
According to the administration, a total of 1,645 visitors visited the National Zoological Park but the online ticketing system faced technical glitches. On the first day, a total of 483 tickets were sold generating a revenue of Rs 1,18,560.
Earlier it was coronavirus and then this year the Delhi government had marked Delhi Zoo as one of the probable hotspots for avian flu due to presence of migratory birds. The zoo was being sanitised twice a day after the bird flu cases were reported. Disinfectants like Virkon, Sodium Hypochlorite, Lime Powder is being used to keep the zoo atmosphere safe, especially for the raptors. But after sending samples to different labs for testing the possibility of widespread of flu was ruled out.