If Mir Alam Tank not saved, zoo park may go: Expert

Hyderabad: The Mir Alam Tank that was supposed to be a boon to the Nehru Zoological Park (NZP), seems to have turned out to be its nemesis. For years, the authorities have been planning to start work on the Mir Alam Tank but there has been no headway.

Speaking to The Hans India, B V Subba Rao, lake restoration expert said, “We had submitted a report to the government a long time ago but there has been no action. If this lackadaisical attitude continues, we may lose the zoo forever.”

Adding further he said, “Their penchant for filling mud and making walking tracks should first be stopped. Little do people understand that the area gets reduced but the flow of water doesn’t and as a result, breaches happen.”

It may be noted that in the recent past hundreds of lorries of sand was dumped at the Mir Alam Tank. The tank has to be repaired at the earliest to save the zoo. The zoo attracts close to 26 lakh visitors a year and is the largest in Asia.

The 12-feet pathway has become a cause of concern and over the years a number of encroachments have come up. M Yateem, a resident of Bahadurpura says, “As a child, I remember we had clean water and it was a famous picnic spot but thanks to the pollution, the tank is now a murky cesspool.”

A fresh study of the catchment area is necessary, says B V Subba Rao, and a scientific study should be undertaken to save not just the zoo but also the tank. The GHMC, the Forest Department and the Pollution Control Board should work in unison, he adds.