Kota: National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s central zone bench in Bhopal has issued notices to Rajasthan govt’s chief secretary, Kota district collector, Kota forest department, and Kota Development Authority, seeking responses in the matter of a proposed sports complex at Kota Zoo, which involves felling of trees. NGT on Monday issued these notices during a hearing on a PIL filed by environmentalist Babulal Jaju, who is the state in-charge of People for Animals and hails from Bhilwara. He was represented through his advocate Lokendra Singh Kachawa.Jaju’s petition said the Kota Zoo, established in 1905 by the Maharaja of Kota, remains the only zoo in Hadoti region and has been managed by the forest department since 1954. He said that the Kota Development Authority (KDA) intends to acquire the zoo’s land, which is categorised as forest land, for the construction of a sports complex—a move he described as detrimental to environmental interests.The petition highlighted that the zoo has a significant number of trees over 100 years old, which provide habitats to several endangered and protected bird species, including hornbills, bulbuls, sunbirds, prinias, weavers, and egrets.
NGT issues notices to Raj govt on tree felling at Kota zoo | Jaipur News
