These were just a few points the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has raised in its evaluation report of the Byculla zoo makeover plan, following the CZA experts SK Patanaik and Dr Romel Mehta's visit in October. The three-page report — a CZA response to an RTI application filed by the NGO Save Rani Bagh Botanical Garden Action Committee on December 20 — was released in a meeting between environmental organisations BNHS, WWF-India, Sanctuary Asia, National Society of the Friends of the Trees, Conservation Action Trust and Bombay Environment Action Group and the Save Rani Bagh Committee on Friday.

Earlier in December, the CZA had mentioned that the makeover plan chalked out by Bangkok and USA-based consultants, was not “implementable at all”.

Even as the environmentalists discussed the implications of the evaluation report, RA Rajeev, additional municipal commissioner, said, “We have received the letter from the CZA and already replied to these recommendations last month. After that communication, no new update has been given. In fact, we are awaiting the CZA to approve our reply.”

In an hour-long meeting at the BNHS’ Hornbill House on Friday, environmental experts expressed that any revised or future plan for the zoo should be made public followed by a public hearing and subject to an environment impact assessment exercise. They also took into account the recent Indian Heritage Society award that the Byculla zoo won, and said that the intrinsic value of the botanical garden and its affordable access by the common public had to be considered.