Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inspects progress of Meghalaya Zoological Park

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma visited the first modern Meghalaya Zoological Park at Umtrew, Ribhoi, to review the progress. The foundation stone laying function for various works at this zoo was done in October 2019 by the present Chief Minister. It is anticipated that an increase in the number of tourists who travel to the state, as well as an acceleration in the flow of domestic and international tourists, will occur in the not-too-distant future. Foot traffic from tourists was 12.7 lakh in 2019, and it is anticipated that this number will exceed 15 lakh by the year 2024. Keeping this in mind, this zoo is coming up on approximately 72 hectares of land at Umtrew. The total expected cost of the project is Rs. 35 crore. Work amounting to approximately 21 crore has been carried out till date. The main purpose of the visit was to assess the progress of the ongoing work of the State Zoo and to inspect it along with Forest Department officials. The first phase of work includes the construction of 15 animal enclosures, a visitor’s plaza, a cafeteria, a veterinary clinic, a feed store, the main gate, etc.

During the inspection, the Chief Minister stated, "It has been a very satisfactory visit for me today at the Meghalaya Zoological Park. The infrastructure will be ready for tourists soon. After the concerned clearances are provided by the Government of India and the Central Zoo Authority, we will open the gates for visitors. We aim to create more tourism facilities, such as trekking paths, a ropeway, a children’s park, and an interpretation centre, within the zoo premises to increase tourist footfall." During the inspection, he directed officials to complete all remaining works and procedural matters related to the recognition of the zoo by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) by June 30. He directed all officials to work tirelessly to make it possible and showed faith in them. He also suggested that local or private parties be engaged to run ancillary activities such as ticketing, cafeteria, souvenir shop, food stall, vehicle services, etc, stated a press release.

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