Skip to main content

Mumbai Zoo

Laid out in 1861, on an area of 48 acres, is the present Jijamata Udyan or the "Mumbai Zoo". Sadly, the zoo is in a pathetic condition with sad-looking animals, (whatever are left) in ill-maintained enclosures. But, in spite of the horrible state of affairs, the zoo is usually crowded. Not surprising because Mumbai is so much starved for open space, that these 48 acres partially fills in the need. On the positive side, the zoo is quite well laid out and landscaped and probably has the highest number of mature large trees per acre anywhere in Mumbai. The zoo boasts of some of the best and rarest species of trees and plants, and is a haven for botanists and tree lovers. 


Another hidden jewel in the zoo is the Bhau Daji Laad Museum, restored to its original glory by INTACH. It is the oldest museum in Mumbai and has some very interesting artifacts and archaeological collection.

My suggestion is to develop a new, state-of-the-art, modern zoo/ animal park on the outskirts of the city within the Greater Mumbai Metropolitan area, and restore these 48 acres into a public green space amenity ..... which is apparently what it is practically being used as.

All this also reminded me of a Hollywood movie I recently saw on my flight to San Francisco - "We Bought a Zoo". 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Architecture - An Impure Art, an Inexact Science

Many of you would not disagree with the statement that Architecture is combination of Art and Science. If Frank Lloyd Wright proclaimed Architecture as the “Mother of all Arts”, then why not the “Mother of all Sciences”? Why has the mother embraced one child and forsaken the other? The Oxford English dictionary defines Art as: “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines Science as: “The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.” Art in its pure form appeals to our sense of the ideal and our highest aspirations, experienced through passion and instinct. Whereas Science in its pure form tries to understand nature and the environment by ...
2 comments
Read more

Low cost rural houses from local materials

Village houses may be artists' delight, and cement structures in villages may look like incongruous ugly dots in a picturesque landscape. But while urbanites may feel that village houses should retain their traditional appearance - and therefore be made of wood, stone, mud etc. - villagers themselves are quick to point to the irony in this: the well-meaning urbanites themselves have long ago abandoned traditional housing! Low cost, aesthetics, preserving traditions, and living in climatically suitable houses are all fine notions, but the durability of homes is also an important consideration. A mud house with a thatched roof needs continuous maintenance, whereas a brick and cement house is far sturdier, and has a longer life span. And villagers are as interested in the longevity of their homes as their urban counterparts. But a traditional rural residence has important advantages - it is almost always based on adaptations to the local environment, and is often built with the labour...
1 comment
Read more

Affordable Housing in Mumbai

Affordable Housing is one of the most important issues for Mumbai's development. due to its complex and dynamic nature it is a big challenge for the Government, urban planner and all stakeholders. In Mumbai, approximately 42% of the people live in slums and about 57% households live in one-room tenements, with 9 out of 24 wards with more than 50% slum population. (Census 2011) Affordability is a relative concept. It means different things to different people. But then how do we define Affordability? A high-level Task Force on Affordable Housing for All, set up by the Government of India in 2008, and headed by Deepak Parekh, has put forth the following definition of affordable housing: (http://www.naredco.in/pdfs/report-high-level-task.pdf) For EWS/ LIG: ≤ 4 years of income or EMI/ Rent ≤ 30% of gross monthly income For MIG: ≤ 5 years income or EMI/ Rent ≤ 40% of gross monthly income Currently the two approaches being adopted to address the issue of affordable housi...
Post a Comment
Read more