GUWAHATI: In a major boost to fitness enthusiasts of the city, Tejas Mariswamy, the DFO of the Assam State Zoo, has announced that cyclists will be allowed to enter the zoo premises from Saturday. Interested individuals can hire bicycles at the rate of Rs 30 per hour.
"We will also allow the individuals to bring their own cycle and go inside the zoo. They need to pay Rs 30 as a fee. The process will continue throughout the day," Mariswamy told TOI.
"This move is aimed at encouraging the residents to take an interest in environment-friendly approaches and encourage sustainable growth. We also want to encourage the cycling culture in the city," he added.
The process will be formally inaugurated by the forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma on Saturday. Five bicycles will be available for hire initially and the number will be increased in the days to come.
The Assam State Zoo is located in the Hengrabari reserve forest and occupies an area of 175 hectares, including the botanical garden which is spread across 82 hectares. The zoo, which was set up in 1957, comprises a unique diversity of 112 species of varied flora and fauna. The zoo recently introduced an e-ticketing system and had registered around 6 lakh visitors last year.
The move to allow cyclists inside the zoo came as a great joy for many in the city. A group of individuals from different walks of lives, who had already submitted a petition to the chief minister seeking for a safe cycling route in the city to control carbon emission and to encourage sustainable growth, expressed their excitement at the development.
"It's a great development. We are very excited. We are all waiting eagerly to get the experience of cycling inside the zoo. We have been requesting the government to sort out plans for having a separate cycling track," said Samrat Dev, one of the founders of the Guwahati Cycle Tour group.
"We will also allow the individuals to bring their own cycle and go inside the zoo. They need to pay Rs 30 as a fee. The process will continue throughout the day," Mariswamy told TOI.
"This move is aimed at encouraging the residents to take an interest in environment-friendly approaches and encourage sustainable growth. We also want to encourage the cycling culture in the city," he added.
The process will be formally inaugurated by the forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma on Saturday. Five bicycles will be available for hire initially and the number will be increased in the days to come.
The Assam State Zoo is located in the Hengrabari reserve forest and occupies an area of 175 hectares, including the botanical garden which is spread across 82 hectares. The zoo, which was set up in 1957, comprises a unique diversity of 112 species of varied flora and fauna. The zoo recently introduced an e-ticketing system and had registered around 6 lakh visitors last year.
The move to allow cyclists inside the zoo came as a great joy for many in the city. A group of individuals from different walks of lives, who had already submitted a petition to the chief minister seeking for a safe cycling route in the city to control carbon emission and to encourage sustainable growth, expressed their excitement at the development.
"It's a great development. We are very excited. We are all waiting eagerly to get the experience of cycling inside the zoo. We have been requesting the government to sort out plans for having a separate cycling track," said Samrat Dev, one of the founders of the Guwahati Cycle Tour group.
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