Mumbai News: BMC's Nahur Bird Aviary Project Faces Cost Escalation Controversy; Zoo Officials Deny Wrongdoing

Mumbai: After facing public scrutiny over a 66% cost escalation in the Nahur bird aviary project, zoo authorities have denied any wrongdoing. Officials clarified that the tender process strictly followed all prevailing guidelines to ensure transparency and fair competition. They emphasised that no tender clause favored any contractor, and all bidders had equal opportunity to participate.

Project Scope and Features

The BMC has invited bids worth Rs 166 crore for developing an Exotic Bird Park at Nahur. The park will feature species like macaws, toucans, swans, and ostriches, with enclosures made of stainless steel tensile wire mesh to replicate natural habitats and ensure safety.

Plans include landscaped gardens, water bodies, aviary-style shelters, paddocks, and artificial rockwork. The project also covers veterinary hospitals, quarantine zones, and interpretation centres to support conservation, education, and research.

Visitor amenities will include bird show arenas, underground parking, AV systems, and eco-friendly features like solar panels and energy-efficient lighting.

Activist Raises Concerns

However, activist Godfrey Pimenta had written to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding the scrapping of the tender, citing a sharp and unjustified rise in project cost from the originally estimated Rs 100 crore to Rs 166 crore in just four months. He termed the 66% escalation a “betrayal of public trust” and “an outright plunder of the public exchequer.”

Zoo Director Rejects Allegations

Sanjay Tripathi, Director of Byculla Zoo, on Friday firmly denied all allegations of corruption, favoritism, or misuse of public funds, rejecting any insinuation of malpractice or impropriety in the tendering process.

EPC Tender Clarification

He clarified that the Rs 166 crore figure is not its own estimate, as the project was tendered on an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) basis. Bidders were required to study the design, drawings, and site conditions, and submit their own detailed cost estimates.

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"The bird exhibits are structurally complex and built to international standards, requiring specialised materials and engineering. The tender also includes extensive landscaping, visitor pathways, educational displays, and supporting infrastructure," added Tripathi. Official stressed that the process was transparent, with no favoritism, and all bidders had equal opportunity.