HYDERABAD: The AP Biodiversity Board (APBB) has come up with a plan to set up an international level biodiversity museum and park in Hyderabad within the next five months. Confirming the move, APBB Chairman Dr R Hampaiah said it was being planned as part of the arrangements for the Conference of Parties (CoP-11) slated to be held in the city in October. The APBB had recently sent a report on the proposal to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Minister for Forests and Environment S Vijayarama Raju and is waiting for their response and suggestions. It hopes the Chief Minister will revert in a couple of weeks. “If he gives the go ahead, the board will start working on the museum and park. If everything goes as planned, the biodiversity museum and park will be completed in five months or before October ahead of the CoP-11,” said Hampaiah.
The APBB had urged the State government and the GHMC to spare three acres for the museum and park anywhere at the Sanjeevaiah Park, Tamidikunta lake (park) opposite Shilparamam in Madhapur or the Kothaguda Ecological Park in Kondapur. “Considering everything, we hope the government will give a plot near the Sanjeevaiah Park for the biodiversity museum and park,” Hampaiah said.
Elaborating on the purpose of setting up such a park, he said their aim was to set up a biodiversity museum and park to create awareness among the people on biodiversity. Regarding funds for the same, he said the State government with the help of the Centre will look into it. “We plan to make it into a big museum as there is no special biodiversity museum and park in the country though there are four in Delhi, Mysore, Bhubaneswar and Bhopal,” he said.
Around 10,000 delegates from 193 countries will participate in the COP-11, which will be held from October 8 to 19.
“After the event, we will strive to make it the world’s best biodiversity museum and park,” the APBB chairman said.