Suspended development work disfigures Karachi Zoo

Only one toilet on zoo premises as demolished toilets yet to be rebuilt

KARACHI: The tussle between the provincial and local governments has made development work at Karachi Zoo come to a halt as rubble spread across the zoo has been ruining the experience of visitors.

The Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government, during its last tenure, had approved a development scheme worth Rs29 million for the zoological garden after Aseefa Bhutto Zardari paid a visit to it. Work on the scheme was also initiated and many old structures in the zoo were demolished that were to be rebuilt.

However, when the time for construction came, work was apparently suspended due to the continuous power game between the PPP's provincial government and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's local government.

Since the development work came to a standstill when a lot of demolition had been carried out on the zoo premises, a visit to the zoo does not turn out to be a pleasant experience for many visitors. All toilets in the zoo except one were destroyed and have not been rebuilt, therefore, there is currently only one toilet for the thousands of visitors who visit it daily.

Similarly, lots of enclosures and old cages have been razed without any reconstruction. Due to this, dust levels are high in the air and debris is spread all around, which irks visitors.



According to statistics shared by zoo officials, around 3,000 to 4,000 people come to zoo on weekdays for recreation, while the number increases to around 7,000 on Sundays.

Passing the buck

Around four months have passed since development work stopped in zoo. Various authorities concerned have been blaming each other for the suspension of work.

A contractor maintained that work was stopped because of hurdles being posed by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. We are not getting permission to lay down sewerage lines, he claimed.

The end of the last government's tenure and the caretaker setup taking charge is also being cited as one of the reasons behind the zoo's current predicament.  Sources privy to the matter claimed that after the caretaker government was formed, release of funds was stopped which accounts for the work being suspended.

Meanwhile, Karachi Zoo Director Mansoor Qazi took the stance that no hurdles were being posed by the zoo administration. We want work to be completed as soon as possible so that visitors can enjoy the place.



Qazi lamented that the zoo administration could not bring new animals as new enclosures had not been constructed. He claimed that the administration had been continuously asking the contractor to complete the work but was being told that the government had stopped releasing funds.

There is only one washroom for visitors and the entire zoo has turned into a rubble, Qazi said. The director appealed to the provincial government to take appropriate steps so that zoo is renovated at the earliest.