Heritage panel wrath over zoo makeover……..Linah Baliga
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has overruled the view of Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) and gone ahead with unauthorised construction in Veer Jijamata Udyan, popularly called the Byculla zoo. The committee had advised the civic body to rework on the existing zoo makeover master plan.
In a letter to V Desai, chief engineer (development plan) of BMC, committee chairman Dinesh Afzalpurkar has said that the level of sweeping changes and new construction near the snake house would cause severe damage to the existing vegetation.
The committee has observed that an RCC structure has been erected and a number of plants and shrubs have already been destroyed.
We have written to the civic body; now its up to them to take action, said Afzalpurkar.
The MHCC letter states: The heritage panel is primarily concerned that preservation of Byculla zoo as a botanical garden would be seriously endangered. It is worth noting that the work on this temporary animal hospital commenced without the committees nod and though BMC officials had assured us on April 15 that work had been halted, a recent letter from Save Ranibagh Action Committee (SRAC) confirms that construction activity is continuing. This appears to be quite irregular as work is taking place in the heritage area of the garden.
The committee said the best course of action for BMC would be to alter the existing animal enclosures in a way that does not invade the botanical garden as it exists today.
With regard to the administrative building, the committee noted that the construction was in full swing for the past six months despite the fact that MHCC had not accorded its approval.
We may suggest that development proposal for the administrative building needs to be revised with our recommendations, the committee chairman said.