India is all set to develop a 10,000-acre jungle safari park, the largest in Asia.
Of the 10,000 acres, 6,000 acres land would be from Gurugram, whereas the remaining 4,000 acres would be from Nuh district, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Thursday. The safari park will also have separate zones for all animals. "It will be the biggest safari park ever in Asia," news agency ANI reported Khattar as saying.
The safari park would we situated in the Aravalli range. Outside of Africa, Sharjah has the largest curated Safari park, which covers around 2,000 acres. The Aravalli park will be five times the size of the park in Sharjah. It will also house a herpetarium, which is a zoological exhibition space for amphibians and reptiles, four zones for big cats, a bird sanctuary, an area for exotic animal birds, an underwater world, a large area for herbivorous animals, nature trails, botanical gardens, etc.
The jungle safari park will be a joint project between the Haryana government and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The Centre would also be providing funds to the state for the project, Khattar said.
The Haryana CM and the Union forest, environment and climate change minister Bhupender Yadav had also visited Sharjah Safari regarding the same. After his return, Khattar had said Haryana's NCR region had immense potential to develop a jungle safari park and it could boost tourism and employment opportunities among the locals. It would also help preserve the Aravalli mountain range, he said. At present, the Aravalli range does not have a national park.
Two companies with international experience in operating and designing such facilities have been shortlisted for the project, Khattar said, adding that the companies will have to compete in an international design competition for the design and operations of the park, and an Aravalli Foundation would be set up for the management of the project.
The Central Zoo Authority has evaluated the area and conducted a study, which has agreed on the technical feasibility of developing such a park.
The Aravalli mountain range is home to many wild animals, butterflies and species of birds. According to survey conducted a few years ago, the Aravalli range had 180 species of birds, 29 species of aquatic animals and reptiles, 15 species of mammals and 57 species of butterflies, the Haryana government said.
First Published: Oct 6, 2022 5:00 PM IST
Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
AAP protest today: Delhi traffic police issues traffic advisory, security at BJP headquarters beefed up
May 19, 2024 11:26 AM
BJP is planning to ban RSS, says Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray
May 18, 2024 8:01 PM
Punjab Lok Sabha elections: Complete list of Congress candidates
May 18, 2024 4:08 PM
Punjab Lok Sabha elections: Check full list of AAP candidates and constituencies
May 18, 2024 12:59 PM