Mumbai: The BMC has revived its ambitious plan to set up a world-class aqua gallery at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo at Byculla. The project was earlier scrapped for a bigger project of aquarium at Worli proposed by then state tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray in 2022. So, bringing the project back on track, the BMC is all set to invite tender for the aquarium by next month.
The international standard aquarium will be set up over an area of about 600 sq mtrs, in front of the penguin exhibit in Byculla zoo. The BMC estimated a cost of Rs. 44 crores and also initiated in June 2022. However, the plans were scrapped by municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal after Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) also announced to construct a bigger aquarium, spread across 14.55 acres at the Worli Dairy Complex.
Aqua Gallery To Have 2 Acrylic Walk-Through Tunnels:
With change in the state government, the aquarium project at Worli was put on hold. "The project is now revived and the work for the aqua gallery will be done in the financial year 2024-25," said a senior civic official. As per the BMC’s plan, the aquarium will have a dome-shaped entrance and two acrylic walk-through tunnels. A 14-mt tunnel will be exclusive for coral fish, while another 36-mt-long tunnel will be reserved for deep ocean aquatic species.
For a natural experience, it will include elements similar to sea life, such as stones. The pop-up window will allow kids to take a closer look at the fish. The aquarium will have four square, five circular and two semicircular fish tanks with 46 different marine species. To maintain the quality of water, a special aquatic life-saving system will be installed with a capacity of 10 lakhs litres.
Tender To Be Invited Soon:
The BMC is also planning to start a souvenir shop outside the aquarium for books, toys and clothes related to wild and aquatic life. Dr. Sanjay Tripathy, the zoo director said, "We are working on estimates for the gallery and a tender will be invited in one and half months."
