CM Sarma lays foundation for Rs 362 crore zoo revamp project, plans new zoos in Dibrugarh and Silchar

The project aims to enhance facilities for both animals and visitors, making it a modernised center for conservation and education.;

Update: 2025-01-02 06:53 GMT

CM Sarma overseeing the modernisation project of Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden (Source: @himantabiswa / X)

Guwahati, Jan 2: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today laid the foundation of a project to give a modern outlook to Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden involving a financial outlay of Rs 362.04 crore. The project will include adding various facilities for animals and visitors to make Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden a modern and state-of-the-art centre.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said that established in 1957, Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden is the only zoological and botanical centre in the entire Northeast which is a leading conservation centre for the region's rich biodiversity.

Chief Minister said that the State government has already planned to set up two more zoos at Dibrugarh and Silchar respectively. Both the zoos are to be built in an open zoo model, as Rs. 259 crore and Rs. 214 crore have been earmarked for Dibrugarh and Silchar zoos respectively.

Meanwhile, the State government has also decided to set up the Institute of Wildlife and Health for wild animals at Chabua. He also said that poaching has almost disappeared from the State. The State government has given responsibility to a Special Task Force of Assam Police to deal with poaching cases involving elephants and tigers, he said.

He also said that so far, the government has made 74, 115 bighas of forest land encroachment-free, which has also aided in increasing animal population and defeating poaching.

In the same event, the Chief Minister released a re- port on 'Elephant Population Estimation in Assam'. As per estimation, the population of elephants in Assam has stood at 5,828. It carries a positive image towards wildlife conservation in the State, the Chief Minister added.

Meanwhile, he also inaugurated the foot over bridge at Paltan Bazar in the city, alongside the newly renovated Santisthal memorial of Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi.

He said that the 17.50- meter-long footbridge has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 16.66 core, under the State Owned Priority Development Fund. He emphasised that this structure would allow pedestrians to cross the bustling GS Road without hindering vehicular traffic, while also facilitating easier access for travellers arriving from various locations to the railway station and the Assam State Transport Corporation bus stands.

Following this, the CM inaugurated the newly renovated Santisthal memorial of Assam's first Chief Minister, Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi and his wife Surabala Devi.

"Located in the Silpukhuri area of Guwahati, this memorial has undergone significant restoration and modernisation to enhance its stature and offer a more fitting tribute to one of the most prominent figures in the region's history," a statement said.

The CM said that the memorial's renovation, at an approximate investment of Rs 1.26 crore, has been designed to immortalize the legacy of Gopinath Bordoloi for future generations.

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