Mysore/Mysuru: The 6,000-square-foot aquarium structure, half-built by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), was handed over to the Mysuru Zoo in 2018 for refurbishing and maintenance.

It was initially constructed 14 years ago at a cost of Rs. 4.26 crore and the MCC washed its hands off as building an aquarium would require minimum funds of Rs. 30 to Rs. 40 crore. In July 2018, there was a public outcry over the waste of public tax money, leading to the aquarium building being handed over to the Zoo on July 14.

Despite the handover and grand announcements, the aquarium project has not progressed since then. Before the Government can proceed with the aquarium project now, it must undertake a comprehensive review of the existing structure, which is now 14 years old. Due to the project’s shelving, many parts of the concrete building have suffered damage.

As part of revival plans, the Zoo authorities gathered information about various aquariums to complete the project in PPP (Public-Private Partnership) mode. Despite the Zoo Authority of Karnataka’s consent, the aquarium work has been delayed for various reasons.

Currently, serious efforts are underway to make good use of the building, which was constructed at such a high cost. The 14-year-old building’s safety needs to be checked and confirmed by technical experts. The selection process for Transaction Advisors or Consultancy Agencies for technical verification is in progress.

Zoo Executive Director D. Mahesh Kumar recently told SOM that the aquarium work is proposed to be completed by inviting tenders in PPP mode after agency experts conduct a technical inspection of the building and prepare the DPR.