THRISSUR: It has been over three years since the work on the proposed Zoological Park at Puthur in Thrissur was formally inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. But not a single enclosure was constructed at the proposed site to shift the animals from Thrissur Zoo, spread over 13.5 acre in the heart of the state’s cultural capital. During the last three years, the state government had sanctioned a total of Rs.12 crore to start the Rs.150 crore Zoological Park at the site.
With the incumbent LDF Government setting aside Rs.150 crore in the Revised Budget presented by Finance Minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac to speed up the construction activities of the proposed Zoological Park, the prospects of shifting the animals from the crammed environs of Thrissur Zoo have brightened yet again. Though the project announced in 2003 was only formally launched in March 2013, ending a decade-long wait, the project failed to take off owing to financial squeeze.
Though the proposed project needs an outlay of only `150 crore,Thrissur Zoo campus, which is located bang in the middle of the city, will easily fetch around `400 crore as per the prevailing land prices.
According to the experts, the government can construct at least two or three similar parks if it were able to milk the resources for all their worth. But the officials or policy makers are still not ready to think out-of-the-box to attain the goal.
Speaking to Express, K Gangadharan, Director, Museums and Zoos, said, “The department is planning to start a cultural centre in place of the zoo when it is shifted to Puthur Zoological Park. With the new government showing interest in speeding up the work on the project, we hope it can be shifted to the new location soon and the place can be utilised for other modes of generating revenue. We will shortly submit a detailed report to the state government seeking permission for a cultural centre at the place,” he said.
T V Anilkumar, Superintendent, State Museum and Zoo, Thrissur, said the zoo and museum here had collected a revenue of `1.65 crore in the last fiscal. Once the zoo is shifted to Puthur, naturally its revenue will plummet and the department is planning to launch a series of projects, including the cultural centre at the site at attract visitors. Forest Minister P Raju will visit the zoo on Tuesday and formal talks will be held in this regard during the minister’s visit, he said.
C S Yalakki, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), who is in charge of the Zoological Park Project, said poor Budgetary allocation had held up the project.
Since the LDF Government has set aside significant funds for the project, the first phase can be completed without much delay at the proposed 80 hectare out of the total 338 acre of land at Puthur, he said.
The Forest Department has submitted a proposal to the CPWD to take up the construction work at the site and the work is expected to begin by September-end if things shape up along the expected lines.
The Thrissur Zoo has been functioning in a constricted environment, which is against the rules laid down by the National Zoo Authority. Not only that, the menagerie’s inmates are kept in cages for the benefit of the visitors, who get to watch around 600 animals belonging to 56 species.
Jon Coe, an Australia-based leading international zoo designer, had come up with a world-class master plan for the proposed Zoological Park after visiting the site with a group of architects in 2012 March. The master plan was drawn without disturbing the the area’s lush greenery. The proposed site, 338 acre of forest land identified for the purpose at Puthur, comprises three interconnected hillocks having gentle to difficult gradient.