Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority has drawn up a plan for a night safari on a 125-acre parcel of land at Kothwalguda. The government had asked the HMDA to set up the park.
A special team, after a study tour, has proposed that the night safari can have 150 species ranging from the Indian rhinoceros and pangolins to tarsiers and Asian elephants. The proposed park would have moats where visitors can see fishing cats hunt for fish.
Performances by traditional tribal dancers and other cultural activities will be part of the safari. It will have trams and boats on which visitors can dine. Highly placed sources said two officials from Bernard Harrison and Friends Ltd of Singapore, principal partner (creativity and design), and general manager (business operation) Alexander Stingal had visited the site and prepared a report which stated that Kothwalguda would be an ideal location for a night safari.
Minister K.T. Rama Rao had asked the HMDA to conduct a feasibility test and submit a report by September so that the government would seek necessary permissions from the Centre to start work by December.
A senior HMDA official said that the Singapore experts had said that they would be ready with the designs on their next visit to Hyderabad. He said the proposed night safari would be more sophisticated than Singapore's which was built 18 years ago.
HMDA, the tourism department and urban forestry department will co-ordinate with the Singapore team. The HMDA official said that the preliminary estimates of the proposed night safari would be on par with the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. The mode of execution of the project would be decided after preparing the estimates; it could be a public-private partnership just like Hyderabad Metro Rail.
