Animals at Byculla Zoo get 'fresh' water only once a week

Jijamata Udyaan in Byculla the cityrsquos sad excuse for a zoo is home to a menagerie of thirsty wearylooking beasts who are languishing in dusty unclean enclosures that reek of neglect The vessels in the enclosures which officials claim contain lsquofreshrsquo water that is only replenished once a week do little to quench the thirst of these parched unhappy denizens of the zoo Stagnant unclean water in one of the animal enclosures has turned green PicsAbhinav Kocharekar Kamal Sayyed looked as woebegone as the deer he was looking at as he said ldquoThe Byculla zoo looks like a droughtstricken area Most of the enclosures for animals like deer crocodiles monkeys and pelicans do not have water The water provided to the few lucky species is not clean enough to drink It has turned green in some parts and a dark muddy brown in other areas The trees few in number are not watered well It seems that the authorities are not concerned about the condition of the animals and the zoo This is sure to have a negative impact on the health of the animalsrdquo While drinking water is only provided to animals once a week the rest of the water in enclosures is muddy and green PicsAbhinav Kocharekar Construction work in some stretches only adds to the air of squalor and gloom that pervades the zoo Echoing Sayeedrsquos dark observations another visitor introducing himself as Ajay Nath Jogi said ldquoThe monkeys look like they are ill almost halfdead Do we come here to watch animals that are kept in such a deplorable conditionrdquo The beleaguered unhappy animals fit right into the larger picture of neglect and dereliction that the zoo premises present The pathways leading from one enclosure to another are broken and cry out for repairs and the signboards that are meant to lead visitors to animals of their choice are broken or their fonts obscured and faded by age Parents could be seen clucking with disappointment having promised their children that they would catch rare glimpses of beasts and birds that had only seen in their picture books so far Construction work has rendered the zoo premises unsightly Sharad Dhuri who had hauled his children to the zoo on a hot summer day with the hope that they would get to meet their favourite animals in flesh said ldquoThere are no animals that I can show my kids The zoo is filled with the usual birds monkeys deer and elephants What is so special about them Why open a zoo then I do not know in which direction to walk as there are no proper signboards We feel lostrdquo Sunish Subramanian member of the NGO Plants and Animal Welfare Society PAWS said ldquoIt is the same every year The BMC officials do nothing about the condition of the animals no matter how much you plead with them Due to water shortage and the soaring temperatures the animals are susceptible to dehydration and viral infection So many of them die from this During summer months the animals should be provided fresh water at least twice a day with special care being taken to ensure that the water is clean We need to nurture them just like we nurture our own childrenrdquo Asked about the pitiable condition of the beasts Dr Sanjay Tripathi veterinary doctor from Byculla zoo replied ldquoEvery Wednesday we clean the enclosures and supply fresh water to the animals Most of the times the water is kept inside in the feed house and therefore it is not visible to the general public The enclosures are empty as there is a scarcity of animals The infrastructure is old Our master plan to improve the zoo has been approved we will very soon begin work to refurbish the entire areardquou00a0