Team News Riveting
New Delhi, October 5
The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is working on a plan to privatise selected zoos across the country.
Marking the celebration of Wildlife Week 2020, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said that the government was working towards the upgradation and development of 160 Zoos in Public Private Partnership (PPP) model across the country.
It would encourage interaction between wildlife and humans, and help people observe and understand wildlife behaviour more closely, the minister said.
The policy for up gradation and development of all the zoos in the country is underway and will be taken up during the upcoming budget. The state governments, corporations, businesses and people will all be key elements of the plan, Javadekar said.
It will help give enhanced experience to the visitors especially the students and children and the future generation in order to nurture the connection between wildlife, nature and humans.
Javadekar also launched a report of the CZA-TERI titled “Economic valuation of ecosystem services, National Zoological Park, New Delhi.” The report highlights the importance of habitats such as zoos to human wellbeing and the need of replication across India.
The study first of its kind in India and perhaps the entire World, pegs the total annual economic value of the ecosystem services (biodiversity conservation, employment generation, carbon sequestration, education and research, recreational and cultural) at around 423 crore (2019-20) whereas, the total value of the one-time cost of services such as carbon storage and land value provided by the zoo is estimated to be around 55,000 crore.
CZA which was established to oversee the functioning of Indian zoos and complement the wildlife conservation strategies through ex-situ measures, as on today recognizes around 160 zoo and rescue centers that enforce global standards in animal housing and welfare. Over 567 captive animal species (with 114 species under endangered category) with overall 56481 individual animals are currently housed in Indian zoos.
