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Deer set to roam free in Prayagraj’s Azad Park
If all goes to plan, freely roaming deer will soon be a reality at the historical Chandra Shekhar Azad Park, located in the heart of Sangam City
If all goes to plan, freely roaming deer will soon be a reality at the historical Chandra Shekhar Azad Park, located in the heart of Sangam City.
Being planned as a major attraction for locals and tourists alike, officials want the project to be implemented well before the start of Mahakumbh-2025 in this sprawling lush green park spread across 133 acres.
“A proposal in this regard has been passed by the Park Development Committee recently. We will soon send it to the forest department for approval. A formal go ahead will also be needed from the Central Zoo Authority, the statutory body of the ministry of environment, forests and climate change which will assess whether the plan meets their norms,” said Umesh Chandra Uttam, superintendent of Chandra Shekhar Azad Park.
The plan is to have 15 odd deer roaming freely on eight acres of the park before Mahakumbh-2025, he added.
Being a big park, Chandra Shekhar Azad Park already has some of important heritage and recreational sites including Chandra Shekhar Azad Memorial, where freedom fighter Azad sacrificed his life fighting the British besides Victoria Memorial, a large canopy made of Italian limestone, dedicated to Queen Victoria. The canopy once sheltered a huge statue of Queen Victoria which was later removed.
Prayag Sangeet Samiti, a popular music training institute, Madan Mohan Malviya Stadium, Allahabad Museum and Allahabad Public Library are all located within the premises of the park which attracts a large number of people. According to an estimate, approximately 5000 to 7000 people visit this park each day. It also has an artificial lake and a jogging track among other attractions.
Though a toy train is also proposed for the park but for the time being the project is stuck. However, improving the artificial lake and repair of the jogging track are also expected to go ahead soon.
