<div>Soon, the tourists visiting Hampi would get to see various species of fauna at a zoo coming up on the peripehry of the City of ruins.<br /><br />The construction work for Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zoological Park at Bilikallu reserve forestsnear Kamalapur in the taluk is underway. The zoo spread over 500 acres, touted to be the biggest zoo in the State, will be open to public for viewing in another six months.<br /><br />The roads are being constructed in the precincts of the zoo for tiger, bear and deer safaris. Three large ponds are being built to help the animals housed in the zoo walk around freely. <br /><br />Check dams are being constructed at five different places in the zoo to cater to drinking water needs of the animals and also to enhance water table in the region. The bunds are built using stone slabs to prevent erosion. A barbed-wire fencing is being erected at a height of 12-ft measuring 7 km stretch around the zoo.<br /><br />The construction work for separate enclosures for animals is underway. So are the works on watch towers, staff quarters, ticket counters and food outlets for the tourists.<br />Staff appointed<br /><br />A staff including deputy forest conservator, assistant forest conservator, range forest officer, deputy range forest officer, a first division clerk among others, have been appointed for the zoo. The works for the proposed zoological park are moving at rapid pace and the zoo will be open to public viewing in another six months time, said the zoo officials. The works on the construction of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zoological Park is underway. <br /><br />The construction work will be completed in another six months’ time. The biggest zoo in Karnataka would be an added attraction to Hampi tourism, according to Nagaraj Naik, Executive Director of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zoological Park.<br /><br />Brainchild of BJP govt<br /><br />The proposed zoo was planned by the then BJP government in 2010. The Yeddyurappa-led government had decided to shift Ballari zoo to Bilikallu reserve forest in 2010. <br /><br />Accordingly, it had named the proposed zoo at the reserved forest near Kamalapur after the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and a Rs 67 crore action plan for the same was prepared. The Central Zoo Authority had given its approval for the said project. The then BJP government had sanctioned an amount of Rs 20 crore for the works to be undertaken for the development of the proposed zoo during the Cabinet meeting held in Kalaburagi on September 4, 2010.<br /><br />Nature lover moves SC aganist zoo<br /><br />Environmentalists have expressed their concern over the proposed zoo coming up on the Bilikallu reserve forests which houses several rare species of animales and reptiles. <br />A nature lover of the region has filed an public interest ligitation in Supreme Court seeking the apex court to prevent the government from going ahead with its zoo project. <br /><br /><br />In a nutshell<br /><br />The 67-crore project was conceived by BJP government in 2010<br />After its implementation, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zoological Park would hold the distinction of biggest zoo in the State <br />The proposed zoo would come up on 500 acres of land <br /><br /></div>
<div>Soon, the tourists visiting Hampi would get to see various species of fauna at a zoo coming up on the peripehry of the City of ruins.<br /><br />The construction work for Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zoological Park at Bilikallu reserve forestsnear Kamalapur in the taluk is underway. The zoo spread over 500 acres, touted to be the biggest zoo in the State, will be open to public for viewing in another six months.<br /><br />The roads are being constructed in the precincts of the zoo for tiger, bear and deer safaris. Three large ponds are being built to help the animals housed in the zoo walk around freely. <br /><br />Check dams are being constructed at five different places in the zoo to cater to drinking water needs of the animals and also to enhance water table in the region. The bunds are built using stone slabs to prevent erosion. A barbed-wire fencing is being erected at a height of 12-ft measuring 7 km stretch around the zoo.<br /><br />The construction work for separate enclosures for animals is underway. So are the works on watch towers, staff quarters, ticket counters and food outlets for the tourists.<br />Staff appointed<br /><br />A staff including deputy forest conservator, assistant forest conservator, range forest officer, deputy range forest officer, a first division clerk among others, have been appointed for the zoo. The works for the proposed zoological park are moving at rapid pace and the zoo will be open to public viewing in another six months time, said the zoo officials. The works on the construction of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zoological Park is underway. <br /><br />The construction work will be completed in another six months’ time. The biggest zoo in Karnataka would be an added attraction to Hampi tourism, according to Nagaraj Naik, Executive Director of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zoological Park.<br /><br />Brainchild of BJP govt<br /><br />The proposed zoo was planned by the then BJP government in 2010. The Yeddyurappa-led government had decided to shift Ballari zoo to Bilikallu reserve forest in 2010. <br /><br />Accordingly, it had named the proposed zoo at the reserved forest near Kamalapur after the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and a Rs 67 crore action plan for the same was prepared. The Central Zoo Authority had given its approval for the said project. The then BJP government had sanctioned an amount of Rs 20 crore for the works to be undertaken for the development of the proposed zoo during the Cabinet meeting held in Kalaburagi on September 4, 2010.<br /><br />Nature lover moves SC aganist zoo<br /><br />Environmentalists have expressed their concern over the proposed zoo coming up on the Bilikallu reserve forests which houses several rare species of animales and reptiles. <br />A nature lover of the region has filed an public interest ligitation in Supreme Court seeking the apex court to prevent the government from going ahead with its zoo project. <br /><br /><br />In a nutshell<br /><br />The 67-crore project was conceived by BJP government in 2010<br />After its implementation, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zoological Park would hold the distinction of biggest zoo in the State <br />The proposed zoo would come up on 500 acres of land <br /><br /></div>
