The Delhi zoo’s problems seem far from over.  After reports of death of ten blackbucks due to consumption of dirty water, it was today revealed that the number of blackbuck deaths is actually 32. Two rhinoceros’ in the zoo also face threat from the sewage water that has flown into their enclosure.

The dirty water had reached the enclosure of the blackbucks in the zoo due to a blockage in a sewer line leading to the Yamuna. The officials in the zoo are also worried about the health of the remaining blackbucks, which are now less than 100.

“The minister has set a deadline of November 15 for us to get the sewer issue sorted out and complete the work,” A K Agnitori, director of the Delhi zoo told Governance Now. He said that there has been water logging inside the enclosure and the pumping out of water has not been possible because the pump is not functional.

Agnihotri said that the authority responsible for pumping out the dirty water from the enclosure was the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Jairam Ramesh, the minister of environment and forests today visited the Delhi zoo and told the officials from various agencies to get their act together.

“The problem is that there are a lot of agencies involved in this work. Agencies like DJB, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) keep shifting the blame on one another,” a conservationist who did not wish to be named told Governance Now.

Ramesh said that the ministry was ready to bear the cost of this project.

PTI adds:

Fearing risk to the lives of the rhinoceros, Jairam Ramesh has asked wildlife expert Kartick Satyanarayan from NGO SOS Wildlife to work on a plan to ensure that the rhinos do not go close to moats and consume the sewage water.

"It is must that they (rhinos) are kept away from the dirty water.

"Meanwhile, I have also asked the zoo authorities to prepare a revised plan to repair the sewer drain to ensure that the dirty water does not flow back into the premises," Ramesh said.

As a short-term plan, solar-powered fencing may be put up around the moat to keep the rhinos at bay.

"We will also create an alternate wallow pool in their enclosures so that they don't feel the need to go to the moat," Kartick said.