‘Uncleared’ Indian Safari, reservoir to be reviewed today

Nagpur: A high-powered committee headed by state chief secretary will review the Gorewada zoo project on Monday in Mumbai.
Sources said Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), which is executing the project, is seeking approval to two major attractions — Indian Safari (145 hectare) and a reservoir (30 hectare) — coming up at Gorewada.
Both attractions don’t have the mandatory clearances from Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and Forest (Conservation) Act 1980.“Though Gorewada zoo master plan has been approved by the CZA, individual designs don’t have CZA approval,” admit FDCM officials.
Yet, the state government already granted administrative approval to Indian Safari. Tenders were floated to construct the safari on February 22, and opened on May 31.
FDCM has received four bids for the safari. However, as the powers to decide on works beyond Rs2 crore rests with a committee headed by chief secretary, the matter will be taken up in the meeting on Monday.
Sources said the meeting will also decide on increasing financial powers of the local level committee to expedite the zoo project. However, it is doubtful whether the chief secretary will grant financial approval to the two projects which don’t have FCA clearance.
Among the other hurdles is a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Archeological Survey of India (ASI) office at Nagpur regarding an archeologically important heritage site within proposed forest site in Gorewada.
The government, on July 27, submitted a proposal to the ministry of environment, forests and climate change for diversion of 564 hectare forest land at Gorewada to construct the international-level zoo.
Gorewada, being a reserve forest, diversion of land for non-forestry activities attracts provisions Section 2 of the FCA. Various attractions of international level zoo will be opened for public for commercial gains and hence it is a non-forestry activity.