Mumbai:
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has spent a huge amount of money on the enclosure of the animals at Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo. Information sought by Right to Information (RTI) revealed that the BMC has spent nearly Rs 20 crore on lions and wolves, but not a single animal in a zoo. RTI was filed by Young Whistleblowers Foundation. According to the information received in this regard, behind the enclosure for lions Rs. 8.25 crore, on wolf enclosure Rs. 7.15 crore and for Otter Rs. 3.82 crore was spent. This zoo does not have any of these animals.
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BMC spent Rs 29.43 crore on daily care of penguins at Byculla Zoo from October 2018 to July 2023. According to information received under RTI, the Byculla Zoo has spent around Rs 20 crore on empty cages.
Foundation activists have raised questions about the zoo spending huge sums on empty spaces. However, a BMC official, on condition of anonymity, told a news website that the expenditure was a one-time investment. “I don’t agree with people who take this expenditure negatively,” the official said. The official claimed that the zoo would have to spend “almost double the cost” due to the high cost of stainless steel, concrete and other materials.
“The enclosures, described as one-time expenditure, were constructed after necessary approvals from the authorities, including the Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry,” the official said. Another official said, “The process of bringing in new animals takes time. The enclosures were built to accommodate the arrival of new animals.”