Zoo to expand over land leased to the Mafatlals

Mumbai: The Byculla zoo will be expanded soon after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) takes possession of 50 per cent of the land occupied by a developer, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in . 

A plot sized 27,284 sq m reserved for the expansion of the zoo had been given on lease to Mafatlal Industries for 100 years. The lease ended  in 2012. The CM stated that as per the Development Plan 1991, the land has been reserved for the zoo. Mafatlal, however approached the Bombay high court last year, to contest the state’s demand that it needs to hand over the disputed plot to the BMC.     

Responding to the questions in the assembly, the CM said, “In 2004, the reservation of the plot in the development plan changed, while the reserved land was divided into two parts. One part was reserved for expansion, and the remaining was kept for retention activities.” It was also pointed out that since a third party developer was using the government land, the developer has been fined with `550 crore and a notice has been sent to them. 

“The Urban Development Department of the state government has already sent a notice to the developer. Directions have been given to vacate the land, which will be used for reviving and expanding the zoo. The matter is sub-judice at present,” said a senior BMC official. A petition on the matter is going on in the high court.