PLANS TO DEVELOP A LARGE WORLD CLASS AQUARIUM NEAR THE MARINE DRIVE

PLANS TO DEVELOP A LARGE WORLD CLASS AQUARIUM NEAR THE MARINE DRIVE

5-APRIL-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA--------------------------In the hustle and bustle of modern life, people are often in search of tranquility. They turn to destinations ranging from the mountains to the sea. If you happen to be in the state capital, Patna, and wish to carve out some time from your daily routine to experience a moment of peace, what better place could there be than Patna's Marine Drive? To transform this area into a lush green haven, the government has set a target of planting 100,000 trees within the next three months. Indeed, planting 100,000 trees over the coming three months is an ambitious goal set by the Bihar government. Across the state, whenever trees are felled to facilitate development projects, they are invariably compensated for by planting a significantly larger number of trees at other locations. This practice has been consistently followed for nearly two decades, making a substantial contribution to environmental conservation.

Speaking at a workshop titled "From Human-Wildlife Conflict to Coexistence"—held on Saturday at the Hotel Taj City Centre—the state's Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Chaudhary, provided details regarding this initiative. He stated that the government is working continuously to mitigate conflicts between humans and wildlife. He further noted that Bihar's green cover has expanded to 15 percent over the last 20 years—a significant increase from the mere 6 percent recorded at the time of the state's bifurcation.

He also announced that a "Luv-Kush Park" is currently being developed in Valmiki Nagar at a cost of approximately ₹100 crore, with the aim of promoting eco-tourism. Additionally, plans to establish a large, world-class aquarium in the vicinity of the Marine Drive are progressing steadily. Furthermore, a "Water Metro Rail" service is set to launch soon in Patna, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the city's modern development.

Dr. Raj Bhushan Chaudhary—Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti (Water Resources) and Member of Parliament from Muzaffarpur—expressed concern over the destruction of wildlife habitats resulting from human-wildlife conflicts. He emphasized that increasing public participation is essential for the effective conservation of wildlife corridors. Dr. Pramod Kumar, Minister of the Department of Environment and Climate Change, unveiled a plan to plant indigenous trees—such as Peepal, Neem, Pakar, and Jamun—along the Patna-Dobhi Green Corridor. He emphasized that striking a balance between development and the environment is the need of the hour.

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Valmikinagar MP Sunil Kumar, Buxar MP Sudhakar Singh, Arrah MP Sudama Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary Anand Kishor, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Prabhat Kumar Gupta. Additionally, the survey report for the Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary was released—a significant step forward in the direction of environmental conservation. This initiative will not only make the city greener but will also prove to be a major stride toward establishing Patna as an exemplary model by maintaining a harmonious balance between development and nature.