DDA reviews plan to develop Sanjay Van, to include adventure activities
A senior DDA official said that the plan is to promote nature-based adventure activities.
Months after it announced its plan to develop Sanjay Van in south Delhi as an ecotourism destination, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is reworking the plan and will be inviting expression of interest again from private players by the end of this month.
A senior DDA official said that the plan is to promote nature-based adventure activities.
“There was just one firm which showed interest in the eco-tourism project. We are reworking the plan so that we can get a better response. The EOI will be invited by next month. This is just to see if firms will be interested in such a project. We will prepare a detailed tender document based on the response,” the DDA official said who asked not to be named.
In the reworked plan, a senior DDA official said, the project will not be pitched as an ecotourism hub. “We are basically planning to promote nature-based adventure activities in the area. We are reworking the plan to incorporate other activities,” said the official.
DDA officials said that the idea is to utilise the forest area for recreation and environmental awareness.
Rock climbing, paragliding, aerial trails (canopy tour, zipline, valley Crossing, Burma bridge crossing), forest safari, forest leisure cycling, camping and picnic area, star gazing activities, bird watching, guided nature tour, flora and fauna observation trips are some of the activities that were proposed by DDA in its EOI document in September last year.
The land-owning agency said that fairs and festivals for sustainability of local traditions can also be organised, as per DDA officials.
A senior DDA official said, “Most of the activities mentioned in the previous document will remain as it is. We are just exploring other activities which can be included. We are also exploring revenue models of the project. One firm might not be interested in conducting all the activities, so we are looking for other options. It is yet to be finalised.”
Spread over 783 acres, Sanjay Van, which is maintained by the DDA, is part of the south-central ridge.
The green lung of the city can be accessed from Aruna Asaf Ali Road, Qutub institutional area or from Aurobindo marg.
The land-owning agency has been involved in maintenance of this greenbelt, which was carved out of south-central ridge in the 70s, and developed a few sites that are frequented by people.
The project will be developed on a Public Private Partnership basis to ensure optimum utilisation of the new infrastructure. The private concessionaire will have to develop and operate the proposed facilities, said another DDA official who too asked not to be named.
“The idea is to create an economically self- sustainable system by making best use of local resources and encourage public’s interaction with nature. Currently, only people from nearby areas visit the green area,” the official quoted above said.