Govt releases fund for Safari park after agonizing delay

Many animals allegedly died because there weren’t enough resources to feed them

KHUSHAB:

Funds have finally been released for Phase Two of the Safari Park Jauharabad after a gap of several years.

The construction in Safari Park has become dilapidated due to non-provision of funds by the government. Many animals that were released in the Safari Park Jauharabad died because there weren’t enough funds to feed them in the Phase One of the project.

Safari Park Jauharabad is the third largest park in Punjab. It was built in 2015 at a cost of over Rs300 million. It was scheduled to be completed by 2017, but due to lack of funds, work was delayed, and it could not be inaugurated.

Now the park will be completed with the release of funds. In this regard, the Secretary of Wildlife, Forests and Fisheries Department of Punjab, Shahid Zaman, visited the park.

In an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune, he said that the provincial government had released Rs14.5 million for the Safari Park Jauharabad to meet the public demand for completion of the park. He said that new animals would be brought into the park immediately, and the rest of the development work completed soon. Shahid Zaman directed the staff at the park to provide water and food to the animals and to improve the sanitation system.

He ordered allocation of 1,000 acres of dense forest between Khushab and Jauharabad for wildlife. He said that space should be developed spanning 15 acres in which the hog deer would be released. The secretary of wildlife, forests and fisheries department also reviewed the performance of the forest department under the government's 10 billion tsunami scheme.

Read More: Govt to use unspent fund to get jabs

The Chief Conservator of Forest, Northern Zone, Rawalpindi, Shahid Rashid Awan, the Divisional Forest Officer, Khushab Naseem Iqbal Butt, the DPO of Khushab, Muhammad Naveed, and the Deputy Commissioner, Muhammad Hamza Salik, were also present on the occasion.

During his visit, the provincial secretary also inspected the Miyawaki Forest on the Sugar Mills Road.

On this occasion, after the completion of Phase One, he inaugurated Phase Two.

Chief Conservator Shahid Rasheed Awan praised Miyawaki forest and directed the staff that small plants should be planted for ground cover so that ground story can be developed.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2021.