Mumbai News: Thane to soon get world class zoo & botanical garden
Mumbai News: Thane to soon get world class zoo & botanical garden (representation purpose only)
The zoo will be spread across 150 acres land. It will be on similar lines with the facilities operational in Singapore.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has given a nod to set up a botanical garden and zoo of international standards in Thane.
The project was proposed during a meeting held in Vidhan Bhavan, Mumbai, to discuss several developmental works, focusing on the Owala-Majiwada constituency.
Confirming the same, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik said that the zoo will be spread across 150 acres of land. It will be on similar lines with the facilities operational in Singapore. The project would be constructed off the Ghodbunder road near Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Owala.
In the meeting, CM Shinde expressed his support for the initiative, promising to expedite the project along with other developmental works in the region.
According to reports, a joint survey will soon be done by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and the forest department following which the demarcation of the zoo will also take place.
While the land will be under the ownership of the forest department, the state will bear the construction cost. Besides, the Thane civic body will bear the operational and maintenance costs.
An expert will be hired to decide the theme of the zoo along with details like the type of animals to be brought in, plants to be grown here, among others.
The majority of the zoo area will feature a bamboo forest, with minimal safety enclosures for animals and birds. Construction will emphasize the use of timber to adhere to forest department norms. Sarnaik also informed them they are planning for a special butterfly garden.
Mumbai already has a famous zoo in Byculla named Veer Mata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden & Zoo, popularly known as Rani Baug.
Other projects discussed during the meeting included the development of a tourist spot in Yeoor, infrastructure improvements related to the ongoing metro work, and various initiatives by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in the Mira-Bhayandar and Thane areas.
