A walk-through aquarium in the shape of a dome will be installed in Mumbai's Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Vanaspati Udyan and Byculla Zoo. The Byculla Zoo Director, Dr. Sanjay Tripathi, said that Mumbai’s underwater aquarium will house more than 50 species of fish and marine creatures. He said that the Byculla Zoo authorities have already received clearances for getting the aquatic creatures into the aquarium. The official did, however, clarify that the aquarium will only contain fish and corals. Aquatic creatures like seals or whales are excluded from the list of 50 marine species.
A full 180-degree view of the aquatic life will be unobstructed by the glass exterior of the aquarium. One walk-through tunnel will house various coral species, while the other will house fish from the deep ocean. This is how the proposed aquarium will look. Pop-up windows that provide guests with a 360-degree view will also be placed in the aquarium complex.
On the ground floor, there's a 5,000 square foot room that faces the penguin cage. The aquarium will be built in front of the penguin cage area of the zoo. The underwater aquarium is strategically built adjacent to the penguin cage area because it aims to enhance visitors’ experiences at Byculla Zoo.
When the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power, it was the first ruling government that suggested building an aquarium in 2020. But at the time, the Worli Depot land was supposed to be the construction site. This project was abandoned when the Shinde-Fadnavis government took office in 2022, but the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently revived it.
A platform for the investigation and study of aquatic life will be made available by the project. Because guests will experience an "under-the-sea" atmosphere, it is also anticipated to be a significant crowd-puller.
Dr. Sanjay Tripathi said that this aquarium will be a small replica of larger aquariums. Here, the civic body will implement the tunnel aquarium concept, cylindrical tunnels, and electrical display areas. In addition to aquatic rocks, labs, and quarantine areas, the life support system will have a capacity of 10 lakh litres.
This aquarium's construction is expected to cost approximately INR 65 crore. The deadline for bid- submission is April 5.
According to civic officials, the construction project would not be finished for at least two years. An open tender has already been released by the BMC to select a consultant for the project.
After a long delay of 3 to 4 years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation finally invited an INR 60 crore tender to build this aquarium last week. Elements like stones and different species of aquatic animals will provide visitors with an experience of marine life from different continents. The aquarium is intended to display natural marine environments and will immerse guests in marine life experiences from all over the world, as it might become a great tourist spot in Mumbai.
In an effort to provide India's zoo visitors with something new, the zoo opened an underwater viewing gallery last year that showcased alligators and crocodiles. The zoo has set up a viewing gallery that is roughly 1,500 square feet in size. From this platform, visitors can see the reptiles and their underwater movements. The zoo authorities stated that this is India's first viewing gallery of its kind.
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