Vandalur zoo misses reopening deadline

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | P A JEBARAJ

Chennai: Mauled by cyclone Vardah and closed last month, Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur which was initially set to be opened by Pongal will now miss its deadline as the restoration of the zoo is consuming more time, informed sources with the Vandalur zoo told DC.

The park authorities have sought compensation to an estimate of Rs 24 crore from the union government. A detailed presentation in this regard was made during the visit of chief minister O. Panneerselvam and the same was also shared to the central team that visited zoo last month, sources said.

The original idea was to throw open the zoo for public during Pongal as the park is a cost effective crowd puller during Pongal Holidays. During the three days of Pongal the park will easily attract a footfall of more than 5 lakh and is always a hit among both the rural and the urban crowd.

When asked about the delay in restoring the zoo, a senior forest official said a lot of safety parameters were involved in the zoo reopening. Timbers from the uprooted trees have been cleared and all the circuit roads in the zoo are ready for visitors. The work is getting delayed, as there is a lot of safety parameters involved in restoring the zoo. Several animal enclosures are old and some of them have been damaged, only after ensuring the safety of public life, the zoo will be opened. Our next deadline is Republic day and we are now working towards the revised schedule, the official added.

"Zoo was a source of entertainment for public and an income for us, but with the park remaining closed our daily collection is badly affected and the foresters should reopen the zoo at the earliest," said S. Arjunan, a local auto driver of Vandalur. Meanwhile the Tourism department eyeing the Pongal season is working round the clock at Island grounds to thrown open the annual exhibition fair.