Govt to come up with plan to improve zoos in country through PPP mode: Prakash Javadekar

government will come up with a plan to improve and expand zoos in country through public-private partnership, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday.

Speaking at an online event 'Wildlife Week 2020', he said that funds will be allocated for plan and it will be anunced in budget session next year.

"Children like visiting zoos and to enhance ir experience, se facilities must be maintained properly. re are 160 zoos in country. We will soon come up with a new plan for upgradation and expansion of zoos across country and we will set aside a budget for it, which will be anunced in next year's budget session," Javadekar said.

minister said that state governments and corporations will also be involved in this plan. During online event, Javadekar also released a report based on total ecomic valuation of Delhi National Zoological Park. report was prepared by by Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Central Zoo Authority (CZA).

total ecomic value of ecosystem services provided by Delhi's National Zoological Park for 2019-2020 stood at Rs 422.76 crore, according to report.

ecosystem services provided by zoological park are bio-diversity conservation, carbon stor and sequestration, employment generation, education and research, and recreational and cultural.

report stated that 77 per cent of Rs 422.76 crore came from recreational and cultural services, and amount stood at Rs 324.33 crore.

Education and research services contributed nine per cent or Rs 37.60 crore to total ecomic value. While employment generation contributed eight per cent or Rs 32.19 crore, contribution of bio-diversity was six per cent or Rs 27.33 crore.

least contribution was found in carbon sequestration which was 0.31 per cent or Rs 1.31 crore of total ecomic value of ecosystem services provided by Delhi zoo in 2019-2020.

"Irrespective of contributions, every service is important as it contributes towards improvement of local environment. benefits of zoo are t only restricted to its visitors but also reach Delhi's citizens. Hence, it is necessary to ensure proper maintenance of zoo to improve its services," report stated.

Zoological parks in India are unique ecosystems that provide numerous services of local and national significance. Besides ir primary function in education and research, many zoos serve as natural habitats for free-ranging animals.

"Moreover, such parks are sources of carbon sequestration, air purification, water purification, ise attenuation etc," report said. Spread across 176 acres, National Zoological Park in Delhi is home to several species of mammals, birds and reptiles.

"As of 2018, re are 40 species of endangered animals under Schedule I and II categories; 35 species of animals under Schedule III and IV categories; and 29 species of exotic animals as specified under Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Apart from enclosures for wild animals and administrative buildings, zoo sustains a natural environment in its campus which provides habitat for several free-ranging floral and faunal species," report said.

CZA had requested TERI to conduct study that aims at understanding annual value of key ecosystem services, report said.

(Photo Credit: PTI)

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