Srinagar: Government will soon set up an underground fish aquarium and aqua park at Botanical Garden Srinagar at a cost of Rs 100 crore with an aim to provide another place of leisure and knowledge for locals and tourists alike.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Forest, PHE, I&FC and Fisheries Mir Zahoor Ahmad, while chairing first meeting of officers convened to discuss the measures for setting up the prestigious project.
The Minister said this would be a first of its kind modern Fish Aquarium in Kashmir Valley on the banks of Dal Lake which will promote pisciculture besides providing an added tourist attraction in the vicinity of the Dal Lake, Mughal Gardens and world-famous Tulip Garden in the foothills of Zabarwan Mountain.
The Minister said fish aquarium will be set up underground near Botanical Garden and on the surface, a beautiful aqua park will also be set up. He said an amount of Rs 35.00 crore will be spent on the project in the first phase. He said it will be a centrally heated aquarium to withstand extreme low temperature during the harsh winter.
The Minister said the aquarium, once completed, will not only provide employment opportunities to local youth but will also generate huge revenue for the State. He also directed the authorities to conduct a visit of the site and start work to obtain no objection certificates from the concerned departments before the start of ground work.
The Director Fisheries, P. N. Pandita gave a detailed presentation about the setting up of aquarium and Aqua Park. He apprised the meeting that the area being green belt, it was decided to build the aquarium entirely underground so that the environment is not affected.
Commissioner/Secretary Fisheries, R K Bhagat, Secretary Floriculture, Talat Parvez, Director Fisheries P.NPandita, Director Floriculture MathooraMasoom and senior officers of concerned departments attended the meeting.
