Ramesh says no to night safari project in Hyderabad

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has withdrawn forest clearance to high-end night safari near Hyderabad's posh residential colony Jubilee Hills saying as it violated the conditions of the approval granted in 2005. HT reports.

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has withdrawn forest clearance to high-end night safari near Hyderabad's posh residential colony Jubilee Hills saying as it violated the conditions of the approval granted in 2005.

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The ministry had approved construction of double storey residential complex and night safari of imported animals at Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Botanical Park in Kothaguda Forest Reserve.

The project is being executed by a state government unit.

“I am dismayed to learn that, for from toning down the construction and making it eco-friendly, the project proponents have actually planned to construct huge concrete structures such as a large hotel with 300 to 400 rooms, a convention centre with a seating capacity of 2,500 people and a multipex having a dozen screens with a multi-level parking lot for about 5,000 vehicles.”

“It will be totally unacceptable in a forest area," Ramesh said in a letter to Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy.

“I am sorry to say that the project proponents intend to take over the general permission given by this ministry with guidelines in order to bring in components, which have not been properly examined or scrutinised,” the minister, who represents Andhra Pradesh in Rajya Sabha, said.

He asked the state government to issue instructions to the project developers to stop all construction till the environment ministry takes full stock of the situation and takes a final decision.