Goa's Bondla zoo gets Centre’s nod for Rs 50 crore facelift

PANAJI: Goa’s only zoo located at the Bondla wildlife sanctuary will soon undergo Rs 50 crore facelift with new animal cages and expanded enclosures, in keeping with the new specifications of the Central Zoo Authority’s (CZA) guidelines.
“The proposal is estimated to be Rs 50 crore for which we have already received approvals from the Union ministry. The amount will come from the central government after we get an NOC from the forest department, since the property belongs to the forest department,” chairman, Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) Dayanand Sopte said.
He said that they were likely to receive the NOC within ten days.“GTDC has received permission only for beautification, construction of footpaths and other ecotourism activities. The NOC will be granted to us on the condition that there will be no villas or cottages constructed at the sanctuary,” he said. Sources from the forest department said that wildlife officials have already submitted all estimates to the government for approval.
“The bare moat itself is a big structure and attention needs to be paid to things like the parapet and chain links. The structures have to be foolproof. We have already submitted plans for the renovation works and installation of new structures to the government. Everything is being done as per the new dimensions prescribed by the CZA,” a forest official told TOI. The file has been forwarded to the finance department and may also be sent to the PWD for technical approvals. The file will then come back for administrative approval following which the works will be tendered.
“The selected contractor is expected to execute the works in this financial year, 2019-20,” the official said.
However, prior to that, the forest department will first have to figure out how the animals will be handled during the renovation, or if they would need to be shifted elsewhere for the duration of the construction.