Sanjay Gandhi National Park soon to get a makeover

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray wants SGNP to become a centre of attraction for foreign tourists and has given in-principle approval for the makeover plan on Monday

Mumbai The Maharashtra government is planning a makeover of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and has directed the state forest department to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the same.

The forest department will now appoint a consultant to prepare the DPR. It has estimated a cost of ₹400 crore for the makeover project, the officials said (HT PHOTO)

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray wants SGNP to become a centre of attraction for foreign tourists and has given in-principle approval for the makeover plan on Monday.

The state government wants to come up with various new attractions such as wildlife safari, amphitheatre, nature interpretation centre, tribal museum, virtual zoo and eco-infotainment facilities, along with two new entrance plazas, viewing decks, redevelopment of mini train station, upgradation of children park, staying facilities, boating facility and construction a new library, according to a presentation made by the forest department before the chief minister on Monday. To make the national park free from pollution, the chief minister further directed the state to bring in electric vehicles for travelling inside SGNP.

The forest department will now appoint a consultant to prepare the DPR. It has estimated a cost of ₹400 crore for the makeover project, the officials said.

“Change the face of SGNP in such a way that not only from Mumbai and Maharashtra, but it should also attract foreign tourists,” the chief minister said. “This can be done by bringing rare animals such as black leopards, white lions and birds, setting up a museum of different species of snakes and starting tiger and leopard safari,” he added. Thackeray also suggested starting a holographic projection facility at the park.

“We have presented various schemes for the makeover. Right now, it is at a conceptual level and broadly approved by the chief minister. We will now be appointing a consultant for preparing DPR and simultaneously moving proposals to obtain various permissions from eco-sensitive zone committee, central zoo authority, national board for wildlife among others. Once DPR is prepared and permissions are obtained, then the proposal will again be submitted before the chief minister for final approval,” said a senior forest official on conditions of anonymity.

The state government may form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for implementing the project on the lines of Gorewada International Zoological Park at Nagpur, the officials said.

In a recent study, it was found that SGNP has the highest documented density of leopards in the world. It is also home to more than 254 bird species, 40 species of mammals, 78 species of reptiles and amphibians, 150 species of butterflies and over a staggering 1,000 species of plants.