Expect new, better animal enclosures at Byculla zoo in Mumbai by end of 2019

You will finally see work on new animal enclosures start at Byculla zoo this year. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which had floated tenders for a third time to construct enclosures for animals such as Asiatic lion, tiger, nilgai, sambar, swamp deer, will soon be appointing an experienced contractor with approval from its standing committee.

BMC’s proposal to appoint the best bidder to construct seven of the 17 new enclosures will be tabled in the statutory standing committee on Wednesday. If all goes well, Byculla zoo shall get new animal exhibits, costing about Rs55 crore as phase II of zoo revamp project, in a year-and-a-half.

According to a senior civic official at the zoo, tendering process for the remaining 10 enclosures is on. The construction of these will cost another Rs65 crore.

The new enclosures shall be bigger and better, said the official. These will have more acrylic viewing glass on three sides of the enclosure, animal exercise yards, water bodies, stronger wire mesh with tensile structure, life support systems and more private space for animals.

Work on phase II of the revamp project was to begin in November. However, BMC took extra caution with contractors after municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta directed zoo officials to scrap the process, insisting that applicants have specific skill set and experience in zoo-related work.

BMC has floated fresh bids thrice since June 2017, to avoid contractors with no real experience, further delaying the process. Now, the deadline for bidders has been extended from March 2 to May 3. Therefore, actual work is expected to start only in May.