Path clear for BMC to expand zoo

Mumbai: The Bombay high court’s decision to reinstate the allotment of the adjoining seven acres of plot to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will expedite the civic body’s plans to bring exotic animals like kangaroos, giraffes and zebras to Byculla zoo.

The additional space is expected to be used for building enclosures for these animals.

In the first phase of restoration of the Veermata Jijabai Udyan, popularly known as the Byculla zoo, the BMC has already brought Humboldt penguins. In the second phase, domestic animals like tigers and lions are likely to be procured. In the third phase, the BMC is planning to bring in African and Australian animals like zebras, giraffes and kangaroos. However, the plans were put on hold due to lack of space in the zoo.

The Bombay HC recently dismissed a petition filed by Mafatlal Industries Limited (MIL) seeking `1,600-crore compensation in lieu of the 14 acres earmarked for the expansion of Byculla zoo.

According to a notification issued by the urban development department in 2004, around 14 acres was leased out to MIL in 1913 for a period of 99 years.

However, in the 1991 Development Plan, half of the land, amounting to around seven acres, was reserved for the Byculla zoo extension. In 2016, MIL approached the HC through a writ petition claiming its rights to the land.

According to zoo officials, the BMC was facing difficulties in implementing the expansion work that involved development of zoo animals’ enclosure and facilities since it was proposed that some of the animals would be shifted to the extension area, as per the approved plan of the Central Zoo Authority.

“The additional land will be used for developing enclosures for new animals, which are expected to arrive at the zoo in near future,” said a zoo official.