Is Nehru Zoo Park being relocated? Here’s what forest officials say

Spread over 380 acres, the Nehru Zoological Park was inaugurated in 1963 after relocating the erstwhile zoo enclosures from Public Gardens. Generally, zoo parks are established outside the city far from traffic and pollution.

Hyderabad: Are efforts being made to relocate the Nehru Zoological Park in the city to a forest block in Shadnagar? Speculations are doing rounds that the park would be relocated, citing increasing air and noise pollution, besides flooding from the neighbouring Mir Alam tank.

Spread over 380 acres, the Nehru Zoological Park was inaugurated in 1963 after relocating the erstwhile zoo enclosures from Public Gardens. Generally, zoo parks are established outside the city far from traffic and pollution.

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When it was inaugurated in 1963 at Bahadurpura, it was outside Hyderabad but now the area has become an integral part of the city. Apart from sound and air pollution, drainage water from neighbouring colonies enters the Mir Alam tank. During heavy rains, there have been instances of water from the tank flooding a portion of the zoo. This apart, relocating the zoo would aid getting 380 acres of prime land in the city and it can be used for different purposes.

Dismissing all the speculations as mere rumours, a senior official from forest department said that it was practically very challenging to relocate the zoo.

“These rumours have been doing rounds since last two decades. First of all, permission has to be obtained from the Central Zoo Authority for relocation and similar quantum of land has to be identified for establishing the zoo at the new place,” the official said.

“Relocation also involves lot of expenditure. To set up one tiger enclosure, it costs about Rs.2 crore to Rs.3 crore. This apart, it takes at least for five years for habitat creation. Considering all these factors, it would be very challenging,” the official said.