The Hindu : New Delhi News : New vistas opening up for visitors at Delhi Zoo

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Sunday, Jul 12, 2009
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New vistas opening up for visitors at Delhi Zoo

Sujay Mehdudia

2020 Vision Document to revamp zoos; World Zoo Congress to be held in 2014, says Jairam

- Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

A warm welcome: Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh being welcomed at Delhi Zoo on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh on Saturday announced that the Central Zoo Authority had prepared a 2020 Vision Document for revamping and modernisation of 196 zoological parks in various parts of the country during the next 10 years.

Mr. Ramesh, who visited the Delhi Zoological Park and reviewed the functioning of the Central Zoo Authority on the occasion, said Delhi would have the privilege of having India’s first “Natural History Museum” alongside the present zoo.

He said the museum would come up on seven acres of land that was being used as a car park by the India Trade Promotion Organisation.

Mr. Ramesh also announced that India would hold the World Zoo Congress in 2014, the venue of which will be decided later.

The Minister said the area already had a Science Museum, and the addition of the Natural History Museum would make it a large complex for children alongside the Delhi Zoo.

Mr. Ramesh said a lot needed to be done to manage zoos across the country better, and that modern management methods and the latest technology should be used to make it a lifetime experience for visitors.

Stating that he was looking to adopt a new but more positive policy to involve animals in diplomacy, Mr. Ramesh said his Ministry was also considering exchange of animals with other countries. Germany and two other countries had already asked for Indian elephants.

“We can use this as an effective instrument of economic diplomacy, something that was done years ago by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who used to gift animals, including elephants, to friendly countries as part of diplomacy,” the Minister said.

Saying that the Union Budget had provided a “green package” of Rs.1,150 crore to the Environment and Forests Ministry, Mr. Ramesh said apart from substantially enhancing the budget for Project Tiger, the Zoological Survey of India had also been allocated Rs.15 crore, indicating the government’s seriousness on approaching issues concerning the environment, birds and animals.

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