PIL challenges ‘commercial use’ of land opposite Alipore Zoo
Kolkata: A PIL has been filed before the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday challenging the state’s decision to allot land opposite to Alipore Zoo for commercial use.
The PIL has been filed by a public forum, seeking to ensure a balance between urban development and the preservation of the zoo’s historical and ecological integrity. According to them, the state proposed commercial use of a 254-katha (approximately 14,223.7 square metre) plot of land situated at 34A, Belvedere Road, opposite the Alipore Zoological Gardens. The petition objected to a development plan approved by the Mayor-in-Council of Kolkata Municipal Corporation on July 25, 2024, which proposed commercial utilisation of the land via e-auction by the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO).
The plan also includes the construction of a new aquarium for public recreation, subject to re-planning in accordance with the zoo’s requirements. The petition highlights that the Forest Department had issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for 212.64 katha of the land, conditional upon the provision of an alternative 2,000 square metre land parcel within 1–2 kilometres of the zoo. This land was intended for essential infrastructure such as animal quarantine facilities and staff quarters, in line with guidelines issued by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
The PIL states that for several decades, the contested land was used for critical zoo-related functions such as fodder cultivation, nursery management, and burial of deceased animals.
The matter is scheduled to come up before the division bench of Justice Soumen Sen.
Millennium Post reported on May 30 that the state government is gearing up to allot 166.50 cottah (11,137.50sqm) of land parcel on a freehold basis at Belvedere Road near the Alipore Zoological Garden to set up an underwater aquarium and marine museum. The museum will include a 30,000 sq ft space for guest experience areas and aquarium tanks. The key zones would include a ticketing and orientation gallery and a regional section showcasing aquatic life from Eastern India. There will be a world section aquatic species. According to KMC sources, the land belongs to KMC while its custodian is the honorary secretary, Zoological Gardens.
