Kukrail Night Safari project: After CEC clearance, govt to seek SC nod

Lucknow: Having secured the approval of the Central Empowered Committee with riders, the Kukrail Night Safari project could pick up pace in the coming months.

The state govt will try to convince the Supreme Court to give a go-ahead for work at the site according to the recommendations of the CEC.

The apex court is scheduled to take up the matter on May 13, after which further proceedings would take place.

While granting approval, the CEC has already rejected the state govt's proposal to shift the Lucknow Zoo (72-acre-wide) to Kukrail and asked it to widen the existing road that traverses through the forest into a two-lane route instead of a four-lane-wide corridor, given the sensitivity of the region.

The adventure zone, which was originally planned with a tram service, after-dark forest experience, activities and augmented reality-based theatre, too has been scrapped.

Moreover, the state will have to adhere to the guidelines framed by the Central Zoo Authority for establishing safari parks.

An oversight committee will also have to be constituted to ensure compliance with regulatory environmental requirements and periodic inspections to be carried out under the supervision of the CEC and CZA.

The committee has laid down stringent conditions for allowing only essential tree-felling that is required for redesigning, realignment and engineering modifications while maintaining a ratio of 1:10 (one tree to be replaced with 10 new ones).

Similarly, the oversight committee will examine and certify the safeguards being put in place to minimise disturbance to wildlife, such as noise levels, light spills in areas inhabited by wildlife, and the maximum limit of motor vehicles to be allowed inside the safari area at night.

The construction activity will be permitted if natural drainage lines, seasonal nullahs (rivulets), wetlands and microhabitats are not affected.

A formula will be allowed to calculate the maximum daily footfall and count of vehicles that will be allowed inside the forest. CEC also emphasised maintaining the minimum staff strength required to operate the safari park.

A senior officer involved with the project said, "We have examined the recommendations of the CEC. We will comply with the norms and move the apex court to seek its permission to execute the project."

Divided into two phases, the ambitious project, which was initially modelled on the lines of night safari parks operational globally, was to be developed with a budget of about Rs 1,500 crore over an 855-acre area.

In the budget, the state govt had earmarked Rs 207 crore to begin work on the project. The public works department had shortlisted a Telangana-based construction company in April last year to begin work on the site. However, a final decision will be taken following the Supreme Court directives.