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Central Zoo Authority ‘approves’ master plan but imposes stringent conditions

A copy of CZA’s letter no. 19-70/93-CZA(Vol.IX)(161)(M) dated 4-3-2008 addressed to Shri R.A. Rajeev, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) has been uploaded for public scrutiny (please see links at the end of this note).

Recognising and underlining the intrinsic value of the heritage 146 year old botanical garden of Rani Bagh, the CZA has imposed four stringent conditions chief among which is:

“Considering the heritage value related to the antiquity of V.J.B. Udyan-zoo and Garden, Byculla, it must be ensured that implementation of the new Master (layout) Plan should not carry out felling/removal/transplantation of any vegetation including trees, shrubs and creepers. Also no activity should be undertaken which affects the life of vegetation in short or long term. This would relate to the proposed massive earth fillings and equally large areas of excavation”

It is crucial to note that currently the botanical garden occupies as much as 63% of the Rani Bagh precinct and this is totally covered with “vegetation including trees, shrubs and creepers”; it would, therefore, be prudent to assume that the CZA has directed that this area be totally protected from any damage whatsoever.

The BMC’s ‘Expression of Interest’ document (No. SGZ/267 of 19-07-2006) furnishes the following data about the current break-up of area in the precinct:
Total area of enclosures                        35,000 sq. mts. (18%)
Total area of permanent structures          7,250 sq. mts. ( 4%)
Total area of internal roads                   29,000 sq. mts. (15%)
Total area under garden                1,21,270 sq. mts. (63%)

It is a matter of grave concern that the Master Plan has still not been made public.

Though the various conditions imposed by the CZA are a victory for the combined voice of concerned citizens, the BMC has sought to devise a new route to pursue its agenda. The Additional Municipal Commissioner has declared in the press that “diseased” trees will be cut during the ‘makeover’. Greatly concerned at this turn of events, we requested Bombay Natural History Society to conduct a survey of Rani Bagh’s trees. This was done on March 13, 2008 where it was found that of the 3,170 trees, only 9 were infected with termites and 5 were otherwise infected. Dr. Swapna Prabhu, the BNHS botanist, has categorically stated that these few “diseased” trees could easily be treated. Her report states: “Since the so called diseased trees are very sparse and are located sporadically within the garden, branding them as diseased and then deciding to fell them would not create sufficient space required for altering or developing new land forms or structures.” The “diseased” trees argument appears to be a ruse to circumvent the watertight condition imposed by the CZA order prohibiting the cutting of any trees, shrubs and creepers.

We continue to demand that the Master Plan be made public so that an informed public debate followed by a public hearing can ensue.