Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Safari Park, a zoo-cum-garden, planned by Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) under the Smart City Mission, is still far from over despite multiple deadlines lapsed.The project was expected to have been completed around three years ago, but it has been progressing at a snail’s pace and drawing angry reactions from citizens. Spread over 150 acre, the Safari park project is taking shape at a cost of Rs 230 crore.Animal rights activists criticise the slow pace of the project. The slow progress is leading to severe condition of several wild animals which continue to get housed in the existing cramped habitats in the zoo. As per official plans, the existing zoo managed by CSMC will be shifted to the Safari park.Pooja Dharashivkar, a home-maker, said Safari Park figured at top in the list of public projects in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar that have missed multiple deadlines.“We have been hearing that authorities kept offering a new deadline for the Safari Park project for the past three years. They were not doing any favour on citizens, but only utilising taxpayers’ money to build a public facility,” she said.Conservationist Kishor Pathak said the central authorities did not close the existing zoo in 2018 because the civic administration promised quick shifting of the zoo.“Following serious lapses, the Central Zoo Authority of India had then closed down the existing zoo in 2018. Housing wild animals in the existing zoo isan high form of crueltytowards these wildlife creatures,” he said.When contacted, Imran Khan, project manager with the Smart City Mission, said over 95% of civic works such as animal enclosures, roads, pathways and drainage and water lines at the upcoming Safari park are over.“Only plantation work is pending, which is getting finishing touches. We hope the facility will be ready before the Monsoon. It will be upto the civic administration to take a call on its formal inauguration,” he said.
