Zoo to come up in Jammu

Aimed at promoting eco-tourism in Jammu, a zoo will soon be set up in the outskirts of the city with central government funding Rs 100 crore for the project.
"The zoo -- Shivalik Biological Park -- will come up in Nagrota belt of Jammu district at a cost of Rs 100 crore, which will be funded by the Centre. The aim is to develop eco-tourism in the region and to attract tourists and pilgrims visiting the winter capital," Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment, Bhali Bhagat said today.
To assess the feasibility of areas and availability of land for creating these facilities, Bhagat visited various places and discussed ways and means with the officers of Forests Department and its allied wings.

In this connection, he visited Manda Wildlife sanctuary in Nagrota, besides Khanpur and other areas around Jammu city.
The minister also visited the proposed site for the Jammu zoo and said that it has been decided that it would be developed over an area of 3,200 kanals.
The project proposes to contain several facilities of tourist attraction such as eco-parks, wildlife enclosures, bird sanctuaries with large number of species from the world, herbal parks, cafeterias, and parking spots.
"The central government has already approved the project involving an estimated cost of around Rs 100 crore and is likely to receive the formal sanction... This ambitious project will fulfill the long pending demand of the Jammu region for having a zoo," Bhagat said.