Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The ambitious work of setting up a Safari Park on 100 acres of land at Mitmita has been ongoing for the past few years. Under the Smart City Mission, an investment of Rs 250 crore is being made to establish the largest animal park in Marathwada. The contractors working on the project have been given the deadline by Smart City to complete the work by March 2025.
The Department of Revenue has provided 100 acres of land to the Smart City and the Municipal Corporation. It took about one and a half to two years to remove the encroachments on the land and level it. Work began in full swing in 2022. A few years ago, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) cancelled the permission for the Siddharth Garden Zoo, stating that it should not be established in insufficient space. However, the Municipal Corporation soon gave an affidavit stating that the zoo would be relocated to the 100-acre land at Mitmita. As a result, this permission was reinstated.
According to Smart City sources, in the first phase of the park project, the work on the protective wall, main entrance, and levelling of the land is 90% complete. In the second phase, internal roads, water supply, electrical system, internal drainage lines, and building construction are 70% complete. The work on animal shelters is 65% finished. The zoo consists of 15 buildings, and this work has been completed. Besides, 34 cages for wildlife animals, 22 cages for reptiles, and 20 cages for birds have been prepared. The contractor has been given a deadline of March 2025, and it is claimed that the work will be completed within this period.