HMDA recently initiated tenders for India’s largest tunnel aquarium at Eco-Hill Park at Kothwalguda. This park would boast resorts, six acres of walk-through aviary space, a 2.5-km boardwalk, and an adventure zone.
Before proceeding with any work on these structures, this project must also consider its effects on wildlife, humans, and ecosystems.
Aqua Marine Park (Tunnel Aquarium)
The government of Telangana is planning to establish India’s largest aquarium and aviary at Echo Hill Park in Kothwalguda. The Eco Park is expected to draw tourists from across India while increasing tourism in Telangana State. It will feature resort facilities, food courts, adventure zones, 2.5 km broad walks, and 50 wooden cottages offering services equivalent to three-star hotel stays.
According to Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao, HMDA recently called for tenders to develop an aquarium and aviary on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer basis. The project will take 30 months to complete, initially operated by a particular purpose company (SPC), before passing over to HMDA once met.
According to the HMDA proposal, Aqua Marine Park will cover an area of over 2,50,000 square feet and can host over 2,500 people simultaneously. It will feature a tunnel aquarium with a 100-meter curved tunnel, 3.5-meter promenade, 180-degree views, and 300 species from freshwater, brackish water, and marine/saline waters, as well as ornamental fish as well as domestic, imported, and land-based creatures such as ornamentals. Ten percent of aquarium and tunnel tank species will be updated or changed annually.
Environmentalists have voiced reservations over this project. According to them, large aquariums and aviaries harm wildlife populations in the wild, as captive breeding alone cannot ensure the survival of marine and bird species. Furthermore, water used for filling tanks strains local water resources and ecosystems – especially concerning during an age in which biodiversity levels have rapidly declined.
Six-Acre Walk-Through Aviary
The 6-acre Aviary will house exotic birds from Australia, Peru, Argentina, and Indonesia and exotic reptiles like iguanas and ball pythons. Talk shows featuring animal and bird experts will also take place here to educate visitors about bird life and habitats.
Eco parks will feature various amenities such as gazebos and pergolas, butterfly parks, sensory parks, greenery, landscaping with 2.5-kilometre boardwalks, and suspension bridges connecting land pockets to either side of Outer Ring Road and four food courts.
HMDA also proposes the world’s largest aquarium and aviary. To build it, proposals have been accepted to construct Aqua Marine Park, which will feature multiple gigantic tunnel tanks housing marine animals and restaurants offering clear views of exhibits/panel displays, a dome theater, a 7-D theater, and a virtual aquarium.
This facility will feature a children’s play area, theater, cable car for visitors’ use, and a herbal garden, rose garden, and artificial waterfall to relax near. Furthermore, cottages will be provided for overnight stays and party zones for visitors’ use.
Though this concept may appear attractive, it is essential to consider its detrimental impacts on animals and humans alike. Most creatures in such facilities are directly collected from wild populations, severely diminishing natural populations, harming ecosystems, and being confined for extended periods in cages, leading to various health issues. Recently, one tuna fish at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan was tragically blinded before colliding with an aquarium wall thus leading to its death.
Sensory Park
At an eco-park in Kothwalguda, the world’s biggest aquamarine park will soon open its doors. Features a curved tunnel aquarium that holds three million liters of water, a butterfly garden, viewing points, and a 2.5 km bird walk; an adventure zone, resorts, convention centers, and food courts will all be part of its offerings.
Sensory parks use nature to help children with special needs feel more connected and engaged with their environment. One such sensory playground designed for students at a school for those with autism in Westbury Park, Bristol, England, features plants and equipment that appeal to various senses, such as smell and touch; the kit includes swings, climbing structures, and other forms of play apparatus which enable children to engage with their surroundings more actively.
Portugal’s Pia do Urso provides another engaging sensory park. This park, designed for visually impaired visitors and featuring aromatic plants that emit soothing aromas, features different kinds of sand and pebble paths lined with varying types of sand or pebbles so people can feel textures beneath their feet as well as hear sounds such as birds chirping or the natural breeze.
HMDA plans to turn 85 acres of land near Himayatsagar Lake into an eco-friendly tourist destination at Kothwalguda. The project will include a six-acre bird and aquamarine park, butterfly park, viewing point, 2.5 km bird walk, adventure zone, sensory park, and botanical garden, as well as cottages, party zone, cable car ride as well as wooden cottages or luxury tent accommodation options and various adventure sports and activities such as zip lining, archery shooting, and high rope courses.
Butterfly Garden
The Butterfly Garden at Kothwalguda Eco Park is an enclosure housing thousands of exotic butterfly species. Not only does this garden serve as a tourist attraction, but it is also used as an educational facility, teaching about biodiversity. Each butterfly plays an integral part in an ecosystem.
Eco Park at Kothwalguda was opened to fulfill Chief Minister KCR’s vision of transforming Hyderabad into a world-class city and providing better facilities for its citizens. HMDA developed this project at an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore. India’s largest aquarium and aviary are among its features, as is India’s six-acre walk-through aviary with approach road, gazebos/pergolas/gazebos/pergolas as well as butterfly garden sensory park air theatre and flora.
According to the HMDA proposal, Aqua Marine Park would consist of multiple tunnels or one long curved tunnel of 100 meters with a 3.5 meter-wide walkway offering 180-degree views. Environmentalists have noted that such facilities require large quantities of water, straining local environments. Furthermore, collecting specimens from nature would contribute further to marine animal extinctions such as those currently experiencing sixth mass extinctions.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji from the Court of Arbitration for Sport directed the special chief secretary of municipal administration, HMDA commissioner, and the Department of Animal Husbandry Dairy Development and Fisheries to respond by August 4. They have been instructed to justify why such a facility could be built without conducting an environmental impact assessment first – environmentalists claim this could have severe adverse impacts on local water bodies and ecosystems.
Food Courts
HMDA of Hyderabad has issued bids for internal development works at Kothwalguda Eco Park located at Himayatsagar lakeside near Himayatguda (V), Rajendranagar (M), Rangareddy District. This tender covers the development of 85 acres for the result of bird’s aviaries, including an aquamarine tunnel aquarium, aviary, butterfly park, amphi theatre rural huts, food courts, sculpture parks, and mountain biking tracks.
The tunnel aquarium will feature multiple tunnels housing various species of marine life – including sharks – over 2,50,000 square feet in size. As India’s most significant, it will feature at least 100 meters of curved tunnel, a 3.5-metre walkway, and a 180-degree view, and will draw over 2,500 visitors daily.
Kothwalguda Eco Park features include gazebos and pergolas, an approach road, water fountains, road lane lighting, an open-air theatre seating capacity for 500, a butterfly garden with a sensory park, and a sensory park. Furthermore, the project entails building a bridge connecting land pockets on either side of ORR with escalator footbridges featuring two art pavilions, picnic areas, and an infinity pool – making for an impressive landscape that showcases nature in all its forms.
The Kothwalguda Eco-Park will feature at least 20 food stalls surrounding a central courtyard, four dining pavilions, two AC banquet halls for special events, and a mini-convention center to host events and parties. Furthermore, HMDA has solicited proposals from agencies interested in creating other forms of entertainment at the site, provided any such bids abide by all laws, don’t harm natural ecosystems, and strictly comply with regulations.
