VISAKHAPATNAM:The worst fears of animal lovers and environmentalists seem to have come true. HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao Friday laid the foundation for the proposed Greater Visakha City Forest which would replace the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park. Environmentalists have been opposing the proposal ever since it was mooted by the minister about six months ago.
Spread over 625 acres, the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is the largest zoo in Andhra Pradesh. It was declared open to public in May 1977 and it has over 800 species of animals with focus on endemic ones. The Greens fear that the project would deprive the few tracts of forest land in the city and pave way for concrete jungles besides putting the lives of over 800 species of birds and animals in jeopardy in the zoo and surrounding areas in the Kambalakonda reserve forest.
Speaking at the inaugural of the 66th Vanamahotsavam at the Kambalakonda Nature Park, the minister announced that the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park would be shifted from its current location. The zoo land would house a night safari park and a botanical garden. The proposal is being mooted with an aim to improve the night life in the city and also create a green space for the benefit of the denizens, particularly elderly citizens, the minister said.
However, the Greens and general public fear that the move is aimed at shifting the zoo to Adivivaram on the BRTS stretch and hand over the existing location to private firms for development of the botanical garden and night safari park. The Left parties, which are opposing the proposal, alleged that huge money and political interests are involved in the proposal.
Environmentalists pointed out that shifting the Park was a difficult task and would disturb the ecology of the city which was already battered by cyclone Hudhud. They claimed that if the government wanted to shift the zoo, there was no alternative forested land in a 50-km radius of the existing zoo.
However, the minister felt otherwise. “The idea was discussed with the Chief Minister and several other stakeholders besides the district administration. They have all accepted it in-principle,” the minister claimed. He said that the zoo would be shifted to the Kambalakonda Nature Park or any other spacious location to accommodate more animals and make it a tourist getaway. He said that the City of Destiny will be turned into the “City in the Garden” through large-scale afforestation.
