The Uttar Pradesh government's proposal to shift the Lucknow zoo stirs a hornet's nest
THE recent decision of the state government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) to shift the Prince of Wales Zoological Garden
(locally known as Lucknow zoo) from
to Southern countries its present location to the Dubbaga forest area, Moosabagh, Hardin road,
has triggered off a controversy. The proposal, announced at a public meeting by the chief minister (cm) of up,
Mayawati, includes the building of a
new secretarial complex at the same spot.
The zoo has been in existence since
1921 and encloses a vast green belt
spread over a large range. As the zoo is
located in the heart of the city where
air pollution is the highest, this green
cover serves as an absorber of the cock-
tail of smoke emitted by numerous
vehicles. Therefore, it is feared that
if any construction is undertaken in
this area, the trees will be hacked and
the greens will vanish. The shifting
of the zoo and the construction of a
new zoo complex at the proposed site
in Moosabagh would cost the public
exchequer about Rs 25 cone. This shifting sounds more ridiculous and surprising at a time when already the renovation work of the present zoo is in progress and expenditure to the tune of
about Rs 30 lakh has been incurred in
the modification process of the existing
structure.
With space constraints troubling
the zoo, a sizeable number of people
strongly feel that the shifting of the zoo
to the more spacious Moosabagh area
will do more benefit than harm. Said
Mahendra Singh, the zoo director, "if
the zoo is located on the city's outskirts,
then only, genuine wildlife lovers will go
there and those more interested in fun
and frolic will not go that distance. This
will also make the maintenance task easier" Singh, however, feels that shifting should not be dope at the cost of the present green belt.
Meanwhile, Aarge number of children, city veterans, professionals, youth and others recently collected at the zoo
gate and formed a human chain outside
the zoo to protest against the Mayawati
government's intentions to shift the
zoo. The World Wide Fund for Nature
has appealed the CM to consider the
environmental repercussions of the
proposal and also to obtain permission
from the Central Zoo Authority before
shifting the zoo.
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