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Delhi Zoo shuts till March 31
New Delhi:
New Delhi:
The Delhi Zoo has joined the list of public places being shut down in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The zoo premises has been shut around Wednesday noon till at least March 31, officials said.
The average daily and weekend footfall in the zoo has already come down sharply. The place, which is otherwise buzzing with visitors, was deserted Wednesday with shut gates, locked ticket counters and vacant rows.
A number of zoos across the country are being closed as a precautionary measure.
Delhi Zoo director Suneesh Buxy said the decision was taken in line with many other zoos in the country that were being shut down as the best precautionary measure the government could take to keep both visitors and staff safe.
“We issued verbal orders in the morning after which it shut down and have put up an advisory. An official notification will follow,” said Buxy.
“On an average, the Delhi Zoo has a footfall of 15,000-18,000 visitors on weekends and holidays, which had come down to just about 2,000 last weekend, he said.
So far 10 persons in Delhi have tested positive for Covid-19.
According to officials in the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the regulatory body for all zoos in the country, the union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has already approved the shutdown proposal.
“The Delhi zoo was closed in line with others as a precautionary measure being taken up by almost all states to keep the virus at bay. Closing down is important for a place like the zoo, which would draw some crowds if not much on any day and could pose a potential danger. We will review the situation after March 31,” said S P Yadav, member secretary, CZA.
Yadav said so far eight states—Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttarakhand—have shut down their zoos. The Haryana government plans to follow suit.
