The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has approved plans for the construction of the world’s biggest aviary in Islamabad’s F-9 Park. The structure has been planned to span over an area of at least 10 acres.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the CDA board, chaired by the authority’s chairman, Noorul Amin Mengal, on Tuesday, Dawn reports.
The decision was announced on CDA’s official Twitter account. In their announcement, they said birds from all over the world will be bred in the aviary, and it will be built through an ‘open auction’ pertaining to design, build, operate and transfer (DBOT).
Using this strategy, the project is said to be carried out to the highest standards, while putting a strong emphasis on sustainability and long-term operation.
The CDA has yet to release further details about the project, including the expected completion date and the species of bird that are to be housed in the aviary.
The announcement has generated significant interest on social media, with many users expressing their excitement and anticipation for the completion of the project.
The project is reportedly one of CDA’s initiatives to support biodiversity and develop distinctive public leisure areas. However, users on Twitter called out CDA’s failed bird zoo in Lake View Park, another big project CDA hired a contractor to invest in.
According to one Twitter user, the birds are kept in dismal conditions, with larger species such as eagles and owls being kept in cramped cages. He also points to how the contractor CDA hired is now “occupying the facility and generating revenue without any formal contract”, as stated in the report by the Auditor General of Pakistan.
Considering Pakistan’s general history with keeping animals in enclosures (read: tales often ending in misery and death), one can’t help but wonder: is this the right step towards biodiversity and sustainability?
As one Twitter user put it:
