Despite criticism over ‘high’ upkeep cost, civic body makes no change to old proposal that will be put up to its standing committee
The Humboldt penguins were brought to the city in 2016
Two months after opposition corporators sent a proposal on the upkeep of penguins to the drawing table citing high cost, the civic administration will put it up to the standing committee on Wednesday without any change.
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In September, the Opposition had slammed the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC for a proposal for a tender at an estimated Rs 15.26 crore for the maintenance of the seven adult penguins at the Byculla zoo for 36 months. BJP and Congress corporators had said that there was no need to spend so much on the flightless birds.
The flightless birds are a star attraction at the Byculla zoo
While BMC officials had agreed to see if components like the medical team and security guards could be taken care of in-house and reduce the cost of outsourcing, the administration has now come up with the same proposal—for a three-year contract to be given to M/s Highway Construction. The total cost will be Rs 15.87 crore after 4 per cent additional charges.
“The cost may reduce if we appoint an in-house medical team or guards, but we have to pay them. Ultimately, the cost will be the same,” said an official from the BMC. The penguins have been a pet project of state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray. The Byculla zoo, officially known as Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, earned Rs 14.46 crore in three years after it brought the penguins. It spent Rs 11.46 crore, nearly 80 per cent of the revenue, on their upkeep.
Eight penguins—three males and five females—were brought from the Coex Aquarium in Seoul, South Korea in 2016. One of them later died. Two of the penguins had a baby on August 15, 2018, but the chick died after a week. This year, two more babies were born, one in May and another in August. The BMC has spent around R100 crore on the enclosure for the penguins.
Rs 14.46 cr
Zoo’s earnings in 3 years after penguins arrived
Rs 11.46 cr
Amount BMC spent on the upkeep of the penguins
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