Mumbai Giving a blow to environmentalists opposing the proposed makeover of the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, which houses the city's only zoo, the BMC has claimed that the 53-acre plot was never a botanical garden. In a reply to the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee over queries by the Save Ranibaug Committee (SRC), the civic administration has said there should be no problem with the re-development plan estimated to cost Rs 433 crore. “It was never a botanical garden. It has been a zoo from the time BMC took over its management,” the letter states.
Additional Municipal Commissioner R A Rajeev said a reply had been forwarded to the committee. He refused to give any more information. Heritage Committee chairperson Dinesh Afzalpurkar said the issue would be discussed on Thursday. SRC member Shubhda Nikharge said the BMC stand was “ridiculous”. “The BMC website says it's a botanical garden established in the 1860s.” SRC states that animals were moved in only in 1873. The garden is home to 3,170 trees of 226 species. The garden is on the list of the Indian Botanical Garden and the Botanical Garden Conservation International. The new plan will include a 3-D theatre, a theme park, night safaris, animal rides, car park, gift shop and restaurants. The zoo has more than 90 animal species. Activists have been arguing that the project will reduce the green cover to half and uproot rare trees. The BMC quoted Botanical Survey of India to state that rare trees are those that are vulnerable and endangered species and there are no such trees in the garden. “This is one single location where a variety of trees is found in the heart of Mumbai,” Nikharge said. It accounts for 67 per cent of all tree species in the city including 952 rare trees, said the Superintendent of Gardens. Dr Rajesh Shinde, botany professor at St Xavier’s College who did his thesis on trees of Mumbai in 1993, said. “I wouldn’t agree that VJB garden is not a botanical garden.” http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/veermata-udyan-was-never-a-botanical-garden-bmc/458359/ -- Regards Rajesh Sachdev ------------------------------------------------------------ www.rajesh-sachdev.blogspot.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "indiantreepix" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
