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The Tiger Safari Park in Hyderabad's Nehru Zoological Park has been flooded after water from the Mir Alam Tank entered the premises, Zoo officials said on Wednesday. Following heavy rains in the city over the week under the impact of Cyclone Gulab, the tank abutting the zoo, and overflowed into the weir, which passes through the Zoological Park. This led to the inundation of the Safari Park area. All the animals are reportedly safe, informed zoo officials to the media. The zoo staff are presently trying to drain out the water with diesel motors and manually removing the grass and debris. All the animals are safe in their respective enclosures and a veterinary team is keeping a constant vigil on the health of the wild animals, zoo officials said.
Director, Zoo Parks, Dr Sidhanand Kukrety, and Nehru Zoological Park Curator VVL Subhadra Devi, examined the situation in the zoo due to incessant rains during the past few days. They inspected the Mir Alam Tank arch embankment and the heavy inflow into the zoo from the weir, as well as areas of Safari Park, and Singoji Pond area, which was slightly inundated. The zoo officials and field staff were making all efforts in maintaining a hygienic condition and draining out water from the enclosures.
The urator also discussed the issue with the officials of the Irrigation Department and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to find a permanent solution to flooding by diverting the excess water so that it does not enter the zoo. This is not the first time that Safari Park was inundated. Following heavy rains in 2019 and the floods last year, water from the Mir Alam Tank had entered the zoo. The latest inundation has come at a time when zoo authorities were gearing to re-open Safari Park after a gap of one and a half years.
It had remained closed ever since COVID-19 broke out last year, though the rest of the zoo was re-opened after remaining closed during the lockdowns due to the first and second wave of the pandemic.