TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Forest and Tourism departments have plans to develop Bondla Zoo on the lines of Singapore-styled Night Safari.
With the mega Night Safari project the tourism department seeks to attract tourists to hinterlands and promote nature-based family-oriented tourism.
The tourism department has also started working on plans through its consultant, Rahul Deshpande, and the same would be placed before the forest department for its final consent.
According to tourism officials, Rs 20 crore has been allocated from State funds for development of Bondla and a 12-month target has been set for completion of the project from the date of commencement of work.
“Our consultant has already started drawing up designs and plans for improvement of the zoo and adding new attractions in terms of infrastructure,” said a senior tourism department official.
Confirming that a Night Safari is on the agenda, other development plans include improving animal enclosures, snake park, aviary, interpretation centres, sections for children, film viewing centres on nature and animals, pathways, accommodation facilities, beautification etc.
Officials say that zoos across the globe are attracting huge number of tourists and add further impetus to tourism promotion particularly in the hinterlands.
In Goa, Bondla Zoo has a large number of species, both flora and fauna, and is an attraction for picnickers which can be further developed. Presently, Bondla’s accommodation facilities are in need of up-gradation and the tourism ministry adds that this aspect is also under consideration.
The project is scheduled to take off by January 2014 and is expected to be completed by December.
When contacted, consultant for the Bondla Zoo development project, Rahul Deshpande said, “I have been given the task to design the Bondla Zoo development plan and bring it to a different level.”
Deshpande said that the final plans will be in consultation with the forest department and very much in keeping with the ecology and natural beauty existing within the zoo. In his personal view, Deshpande said Bondla Zoo has great potential as a world-class tourist spot.
A couple of months ago, the forest department was working on a Bondla Zoo Development Plan. The tourism department has however stepped in to help in this endeavour to make Bondla a family destination.
