Sarnath deer park work likely to end by December

VARANASI: The Sarnath deer park is all set to witness a beautification and maintenance drive as a veterinary hospital and a postmortem house is to come up on its premises. The district forest department had received a fund of Rs. 72 lakh as third installment of the total allocated budget of Rs 1.89 crore for beautification and tourism development in the park from the department of culture.
While some of the proposed projects have already been completed in the last two years, others are expected to be completed by December this year.
According to rainforest officer of Sarnath Deer Park, Madan Ram Chaurasia, as per the directions of Central Zoo Authority, veterinary hospital and postmortem house for animals, among several other guidelines, is a must in a mini zoo.
Revealing further details about establishment of veterinary hospital and postmortem house, Chaurasia said, “While a modern veterinary hospital will be constructed at the park a the cost of Rs. 13.15 lakhs, the cost of postmortem house is estimated to be Rs. 3.29 lakhs. The deadline for completion of the work is December this year.”
As of now, the approval of framework and design of proposed vet hospital and postmortem house from chief wildlife warden of UP Lucknow is awaited, following which DFO Mul Chandra will begin the tender process, he added.
Chaurasia informed that Rs. 50 lakhs each were given to the forest department in financial years 2012-13 and 2014-15 for beautification and maintenance of Sarnath Deer Park and mini zoo.
“A total of 25 projects were proposed to be completed under the beautification and tourism development project taken up by the forest department of which 20 works are complete. The rest will be completed on the pattern of Lucknow zoo include establishment of veterinary hospital and postmortem house for animals, maintenance of lake, park and site development of lake, tubewells for providing fresh water to animals and birds, transformer for smooth water supply and streetlights in the area near Buddha Samadhi,” he said.
Notably, one of the major attractions of mini-zoo, cheetals and birds, lost their lives due to lack of availability of veterinary facilities. Now, with the establishment of veterinary hospital, the ailing animals and birds can be kept in the hospital for observation and proper treatment can be provided to them.