Mumbai’s oldest and one of the popular tourist attractions, Taraporewala aquarium will soon re-open with a makeover comprising more than 100 species of fishes imported from abroad.
The Aquarium was shut for renovation in 2013. “In 2012-13, there were more than four lakh visitors. After the facility is reopened, the number of visitors will go up by 30 per cent,” an official in the fisheries department, which looks after the Aquarium, said.
He said the date of reopening would be announced soon, adding that the renovation cost was around Rs. 20 crore.
The marine life will be on display in modernised huge glass tanks fitted with 110 mm flexi glass that gives better clarity, and will be lit by LED or metal-halide lamps to enhance the colour of fish.
A new facility ‘touch pool’, will be installed where visitors can touch marine animals like turtles, star fish, sea urchins, the official said.
A 50-seater amphitheatre has also been constructed where short films and documentaries about marine life, fishing, business of fisheries will be screened.
Similarly, a water tank containing different marine exhibits resembling an oceanarium will enable people to take a feel of an undersea walk and experience the rich marine life, he said.
Taraporewala Aquarium was built in 1951 at a cost of Rs. 8.9 lakh and a donation of Rs. 2 lakh from a Parsi Philanthropist D B Taraporewala. The aquarium was inaugurated by the then President late Rajendra Prasad.
In the aquarium’s 16 sea water tanks and nine sweet water tanks, there are 31 types of fish, while 32 tropical tanks contains 54 kind of fishes.
