Forsaken Sindh’s only wildlife safari has no funds

Booharki Wildlife Safari is located 42kms from Badin, near Rann of Kutch.

ALI BANDAR:

No proper funds have been released for Sindh's first and the largest public wildlife safari park, the Booharki Wildlife Safari, since the last couple of years.

The foundation stone of the biodiversity park, which is located around 42 kilometres from Badin near the Rann of Kutch, was laid in January 2011. However, the project designed to attract people from far-flung areas has yet to be completed after four years.

A staff member working at the park talked about the lack of funds. "We don't have enough funds to feed all these animals," he said, adding that even staff members working at the park have not been given salaries for the last six months.

The total cost of the project was Rs250 million and, according to an official, only Rs150 million have been released for the work — and that, too, in minor instalments. According to officials, the provincial government has not been releasing the allocated budget for the last seven months.

Chief conservator Mir Nadir Talpur admitted that there was a shortage of funds. "The funds have been approved but are not being released by the finance department," he said. Talpur added that he had asked the finance department and other authorities to release funds so that the remaining work can be completed.

Despite the fact it is the only wildlife safari in the province, public representatives and provincial forest officials have yet to step forward. "We have been waiting for its completion since 2012," said Sadiq Hussain, a resident of Badin. "Our children will play here and I am positive that people from Karachi and Hyderabad will visit and love to stay here."

Around 100 animals, including Chinkara and hog deer, have been kept in animal enclosures for the last 18 months. Wildlife experts say that these animals should immediately be released into the wildlife. "They will die if left in this condition for more time," a wildlife expert seeking anonymity told The Express Tribune.

The major hurdle in releasing animals is said to be the incomplete chain-link fencing. "We can't release animals in this condition," said a park official. He added that fencing was required for almost three kilometres. "We'll release these animals in the wild in a few days," he told The Express Tribune.

The safari is spread across 2,000 kilometres and ends near the Rann of Kutch. Visitor huts have been established where people can stay at night to experience nature near the sea and wildlife. "The area is peaceful and there are no security concerns," assured a wildlife department official. "It is the largest and the first wildlife safari park in Sindh," informed the forest department's former chief conservator, Riaz Ahmed Waghan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2015.