The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Facelift for Bannerghatta Park soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 25, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Facelift for Bannerghatta Park soon

Special Correspondent

More waterholes created, mini-zoo and bird enclosures to be spruced up

Bangalore: The Bannerghatta National Park, parts of which is now designated a Biological Park, is going to get a facelift.

An average of 5,000 tourists and locals visit Bannerghatta every day and around 30 per cent more on weekends.

With such a large number of visitors throughout the year, the park authorities face the problem of disposing of paper, plastic and other inorganic waste. With few good eateries in the vicinity, most visitors bring picnic lunches with paper or plastic plates.

According to Forest Department officials, the waste lying around poses a serious health hazard to animals. Some swallow plastic covers and cartons along with leftover food and choke. Others suffer severe colic. Other plastic waste clogs the drains and waterways. Groundwater recharge is also affected.

Better roads

The Forest Department has thought out plans to upgrade facilities at the park, in association with the Central Zoo Authority, which stipulates norms and conditions on a par with other, larger national parks. Some of the work relate to better roads within the park area.

The roads inside the safari areas are in constant use with vehicles carrying visitors at regular intervals. The Tourism Department has sponsored 20 safari vehicles. The Forest Department has created more waterholes and salt licks for the animals. In the months to come, the mini-zoo and the bird enclosures will be spruced up and the nearby Butterfly Dome made more accessible to serious researchers.

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