MILL LAND ROW
7 acres will be given to zoo, state tells court
Mumbai: The state government on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court that it plans to extend the Veermata Jijabai Udyan at Byculla. In an affidavit filed by the government in response to the public interest litigation on the condition of the Byculla zoo, it indicated its intention to hand over seven acres of the land (that would be freed after dereserving an adjoining mill land plot) for the zoo. A division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice S C Dharmadhikari has scheduled the PIL for hearing on June 14.
The zoo is spread over 52 acres, of which only 13 acres houses the 400 animals and birds. The remaining is occupied by the botanical gardens. In February 2004, the state dereserved 15 acres of mill land of which half the portion would be given to the zoo for its extension, while the remaining would go to the Mafatlals. Mafatlals has already filed a petition in the HC
opposing the handing over of its share of land to the zoo.
Bhagwanji Raiyani of Janhit Manch urged the court to allow him to amend his PIL and challenge the government’s decision to give part of the plot to Mafatlal. According to real estate analysts, the 27,000 sq m portion of land that the company would get is worth over Rs 45 crore.
The zoo is facing a severe space crunch. Following a report by an expert committee, the HC had ordered some animals to be relocated and prolifically breeding species like deer and exotic bird species to be separated by sex to curb their population. Following the order some deer, porcupines, peacocks, one hippopotamus and one bear were relocated. Recently an elephant was also sent to another zoo.