Work starts on animal rescue centre ahead of Noida airport project

The project will be developed on 10 hectares in Yeida area’s Sector 17 near Rajpur village with a budget of ₹3.41 crore

GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) on Thursday said it has started construction of a Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre near the upcoming Noida International Airport.

The project received clearance from the Zoo Authority of India, after which the tendering process was initiated this April after the financial bids were opened, and a firm was selected to carry out the construction. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Archive)

The project will be developed on 10 hectares in Yeida area’s Sector 17 near Rajpur village with a budget of ₹3.41 crore.

The project received clearance from the Zoo Authority of India, after which the tendering process was initiated this April after the financial bids were opened, and a firm was selected to carry out the construction.

“The Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre will be completed by 2026 end so that it can address the issues related with wildlife rescue and protection in the vicinity of the Noida airport,” said Yeida’s officer on special duty and Noida airport’s nodal officer Shailendra Bhatia

The centre will be equipped with essential infrastructure tailored for wildlife care, including a medical unit, enclosures, shelters, and a team of veterinary doctors. The Forest Department will assist in managing rescue operations, though Yeida will oversee the construction and infrastructure.

In 2023-24, the WildlifeInstitute of India, Dehradun, conducted an ecological study in the 10-km radius around the airport site to assess the airport’s impact on local wildlife, and recommended conservation measures. It identified 258 blackbucks and 176 sarus cranes in the region, warning that their natural habitat could be disrupted due to airport construction.

Originally, the Forest Department was tasked with building the centre and had prepared an estimate of ₹8 crore. However, YEIDA has now taken over the project and assigned its horticulture wing to complete it for ₹3.41 crore. Officials claim that by July 2026, the centre will be fully operational, offering shelter and treatment facilities for rescued wildlife.