After being shut down for the general public for almost 8 months due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden was all set to reopen from Tuesday. However, due to some unavoidable circumstances, the re-opening has been postponed till further notice.
Speaking to Headline8, the Assam State Zoo Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Tejas Mariswamy, and Assistant Conservator Forest (ACF), Mrs. P. Saikia, both confirmed that the re-opening has been postponed and it is likely that the re-opening will be done on December 15 or 17.
Image Credit: Mriganka S Pathak
The Assam State Zoo will be re-opened following the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) provided by the Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam.
Below given are the guidelines to be followed during the operation of the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden.
1. Visitors will be allowed to enter in a staggered manner and entry will be divided into two-time slots. One between 8 am to 11 am and another between 1 pm to 4 pm. Each slot will have a limit of 450 visitors on any given day until further notice.
2. The ticket booking will be done online through ORCS. There will also be booking personnel at the gate to assist online booking for those who don’t have access to the internet.
3. There will no cash payment, however, if one doesn’t have an e-payment option, he/she will be asked to drop the exact change into the note box kept specifically for this purpose.
4. The 450 visitors of each time slot were not allowed to enter all at once, however, they will be further divided into three separate batches with 150 visitors each.
5. Visitors will not be allowed to spend more than two hours inside the zoo premises. In case any person or group wants to stay for more than two hours, then they must obtain prior permission from the Zoo authority.
6. No visitors will be allowed to enter after the end of the two-time slots.
7. It is compulsory for visitors to wear masks. Hand sanitizer and foot bath will be available at the entrance of the Zoo.
8. Battery operated vehicles will ply with only one person in each row and will be properly sanitized after every trip.
9. Visitors will not be allowed to congregate at the viewpoint of the animal enclosure. They are strictly not allowed to cross stand-off barriers, anyone found breaking the rules, is liable to be fined Rs. 500.
10. No outside food material will be allowed inside the Zoo and one water bottle (1 or 2 liters) per person is allowed.
11. Visitors are not allowed to carry any handbags, bags, polythene, etc. however, female visitors will be allowed to carry one handbag.
12. People above 65, person with comorbidities, children below 10 years of age, and pregnant women are strictly restricted to enter the Zoo.
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