Environment minister rejects Jairam Ramesh's charge of Delhi Zoo privatisation

Yadav said the Delhi Zoo, a 60-year-old institution, is looking to modernise its facilities and adopt global standards in animal welfare and visitor experience.

New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday dismissed Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's criticism regarding the Delhi Zoo's proposed agreement with the Reliance Group's Gujarat-based wildlife facility, saying such collaborations are routine and aimed at improving animal care and management practices.

"Some people have made it a habit to create doubts in the mind of the public at every instance," Yadav said on X in response to Ramesh's remarks.

He clarified that the National Zoological Park (NZP), also known as the Delhi Zoo, had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Greens Zoological, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in January 2021. The centre is managed by the Reliance Foundation under the Vantara initiative.

"The proposed MoU aims to foster collaboration in wildlife conservation, rescue, rehabilitation, animal health and welfare," Yadav said, adding that key areas of cooperation include veterinary care, exchange of best practices, technical assistance in zoo planning and training of staff.

He said the Delhi Zoo, a 60-year-old institution, is looking to modernise its facilities and adopt global standards in animal welfare and visitor experience.

"GZRRC has developed state-of-the-art facilities in animal health, zoo design, and habitat enrichment. NZP aims to adopt these best practices," he added.

Yadav said such collaborations are not new and are routinely pursued by zoos across India.

"Zoological parks enter into collaborative MoUs with other zoos, universities and scientific institutions for enhancement of conservation efforts, scientific research, education and capacity building," he said.

The minister's statement came days after Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, raised concerns over what he called a secretive plan to hand over the management of the Delhi Zoo to a private entity.

Citing a news report, Ramesh had said, "The Delhi Zoo is under the direct control of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. It is planning to sign an agreement with the one and only Vantara and the Gujarat Government for getting better management practices."

He questioned whether this was the "first step towards handing over the zoo to a private enterprise" and warned that such a move would set a dangerous precedent.

"While the government claims that this is not a management transfer, its past record does not inspire confidence," he said.

Ramesh also objected to the lack of transparency around the proposed agreement.

"Such an agreement entered into in such a hush-hush manner raises many questions that need to be clarified in a transparent manner," he said.

He argued that public spaces like zoos, national parks, tiger reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries are vital public services and "must never be privatised in any form." In response, the environment minister insisted that the Delhi Zoo was not being handed over to any private entity.

"The NZP has signed MoUs with different organisations working in wildlife management and research in the past and keeps pursuing similar collaborations as part of its modernisation drive," Yadav said.

The GZRRC has been in the spotlight for housing exotic and endangered animals, and its collaboration with public institutions has attracted both praise and scrutiny.