30 September,2024 03:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
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The Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan in Byculla, also known as the Byculla Zoo or Ranibaug, will remain open to the public on October 2 on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced on Monday.
The civic body also informed that the Byculla zoo will be closed to the public on Thursday, October 3, 2024, instead.
"On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo will remain open to the public. The zoo will be closed the following day, i.e., Thursday, October 3, 2024," said the BMC.
The Byculla zoo is typically closed on Wednesdays for cleaning and maintenance purposes. However, according to a resolution passed earlier by the BMC, if a public holiday falls on a Wednesday, the zoo will remain open to the public and will instead be closed on the following day.
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The park is open to citizens on all other days of the week except weekly holidays, which are on Wednesdays. The ticket window of the park is open from 9.30 am to 5 pm. The park closes at 6.00 pm.
The civic body charges entry fees to visitors which are set at Rs 25 for children, Rs 50 for adults and Rs 100 for a family of four.
Earlier in March, similar to Dubai, visitors in Mumbai will soon have the opportunity to explore a tunnel aquarium at Byculla zoo. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced plans to establish this attraction and has issued a tender valued at Rs 40 crore.
The BMC had initially sought proposals for a tunnel aquarium at Veermata Jijabai Bhonsle Zoo in Byculla back in 2022. However, the project was delayed due to the Maha Vikas Aaghadi (MVA) government's decision to focus on developing an aquarium at Worli on Aarey's dairy land, a plan that was later abandoned by the Mahayuti government.
Now, the BMC is moving forward with the tunnel aquarium project, with construction expected to be completed within 12 months of the work order being issued. The deadline for bid submission is April 5.
Last year Byculla Zoo opened an underwater viewing gallery of crocodiles and alligators. A viewing gallery of approximately 1,500 square feet has been set up in the zoo and from this platform, tourists can observe the on-surface and underwater movements of the reptiles. According to the zoo authority, this is the first such kind of viewing gallery in India.
