Exploring Beautification of Ayad River and Bird Park Development

Assam Governor Mr. Kataria and Padma Shri Savjibhai Dholakia conducted a site visit with the team

Udaipur : Environmental expert Padma Shri Savjibhai Dholakia from Gujarat visited Udaipur on Monday. He, along with Assam Governor Mr. Gulab Chand Kataria, representatives, and officials, inspected the beautification work of Ayad River and the bird park located in Gulab Bagh. They explored the development possibilities at both sites and held discussions with representatives and officials. A plan will soon be prepared to make both sites more attractive, useful, and robust.

At the invitation of Governor Kataria, Mr. Dholakia arrived in Udaipur with his team on a special charter flight. On Monday morning, Mr. Kataria and Mr. Dholakia visited the bird park in Gulab Bagh. In the presence of MP Dr. Mannalal Rawat, MLA Phoolchand Meena, District Collector Arvind Poswal, and forest department officials, they inspected the park. They examined various sections of the bird park and discussed development possibilities. Bird expert Rajat Bhargava and DFO D.K. Tiwari showed the Green Munia Breeding Center, Blue Breasted Quail, and various bird enclosures, providing information about the activities.

Introducing New Species for Attraction

Mr. Dholakia inquired about the expenditure and income of the bird park from the forest officials. The officials informed that the monthly expenditure is approximately INR 500,000, and the annual revenue from visitors is INR 1.5 million. Mr. Dholakia suggested that the bird park could generate an annual profit of INR 5 million by introducing new bird species. He recommended subsidized tickets for the general public and additional charges for photographers. He also suggested replacing the iron cages with galvanized ones and bringing species approved by the Central Zoo Authority.

Governor Kataria instructed to prepare a detailed plan for the bird park’s development and submit it. He also invited Mr. Dholakia to provide suggestions to make the bird park A-class. Social worker Dr. Chandragupt Singh Chauhan, Hansraj Chaudhary, Chief Conservator of Forests S.R. Venkateshwar Murthy, and many environmental enthusiasts and city residents were present. Earlier, Mr. Dholakia also planted trees in the premises.

Review of Ayad River Beautification Work

After inspecting the bird park, Mr. Kataria and Mr. Dholakia, along with officials and representatives, visited the Ayad bridge. They reviewed the ongoing beautification work in the riverbed. District Collector Mr. Poswal informed that the beautification work of Ayad started five years ago due to the efforts of Governor Kataria. Initially, the entire riverbed was cleaned with the help of philanthropists. Subsequently, beautification work began under the Smart City project, including the creation of a canal in the middle of the river and a riverfront bed on both sides. Governor Kataria discussed further possibilities for the beautification of Ayad River.

Mr. Dholakia suggested preparing a plan considering factors like monsoon water inflow, irrigation management, and beautification, in consultation with experts and officials. MP Dr. Mannalal Rawat, Udaipur City MLA Tarachand Jain, Udaipur Rural MLA Phoolsingh Meena, Mayor Govindsingh Tank, Municipal Commissioner Ram Prakash, Smart City’s Pradeep Singh Sangawat, ACEO Krishnapal Singh Chauhan, social worker Chandragupt Singh, and other officials and representatives were present.

Peepal Tree: A Connector, Not a Breaker: While reviewing the Ayad River beautification work, Mr. Dholakia noticed a Peepal tree growing on the edge of a wall. He mentioned that it is a misconception that Peepal trees break walls; instead, they strengthen them. He emphasized the numerous myths about Peepal trees and highlighted that they are the highest oxygen-giving trees, thus advocating for planting more Peepal trees.