The sale of wooden logs of trees, uprooted by the very severe cyclone Hudhud at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, has fetched Rs.8.75 lakh so far.The 625-acre zoo used to be covered by green trees of different varieties and sizes providing shade to visitors even during sweltering summer months. Barring the roads, animal and avian enclosures and a few sheds for revellers to chill out during picnics, the whole area was literally covered with trees.
It was estimated that around 3,000 trees were destroyed by the gales.
“The sale of 1,100 cubic metres of wood has fetched Rs.8.75 lakh so far and we expect to earn an additional Rs.2.75 lakh through the sale of the remaining 200 cu. m. of wood,” Zoo Curator G. Ramalingam told The Hindu on Thursday.
He said that efforts were on to restore the greenery as part of which 1,500 saplings were planted. “The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has given 1,200 metal tree guards and 300 more were promised. The plastic guards would be replaced with the metal guards, which would help in monitoring the survival of the saplings,” he said.