Inspired by the 61-acre Hong Kong Wetland Park, the state government is planning an 80-acre park-cum-nature interpretation centre on the fringes of the East Calcutta Wetlands.

The Rs 100-crore project is likely to house a 50-acre outdoor wetland wildlife reserve and an indoor visitor centre.

The state environment department has engaged UK-based consultant Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust to prepare a detailed project report.

“We’ve received the draft report. We’ll provide our feedback and inputs by Saturday. The consultant has been asked for a public-private partnership model to make the project viable,” stated project director of Calcutta Environment Improvement Project Rajiva Sinha.

“The Hong Kong park has become very popular, especially among children, since it opened in May. Footfall on weekends exceeds 17,000. It’s the best example of promoting eco-tourism as well as educating people about wetland conservation and biodiversity,” said environment secretary M.L. Meena.

“The Hong Kong authorities are ready to share knowhow with us,” he added.

Chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb, Meena and Sinha visited the park during their three-day Hong Kong trip last week. The three are members of the recently-formed East Calcutta Wetland Management Authority.

The wetland wildlife reserve will recreate habitats of birds and animals, some of them rare, like the Bottlebrush Marsh Mongoose. Snakes, including the Chequered Keelback, cobra and rat snake will find place in the reserve.

Educational walks will be arranged. The 30-acre indoor visitor centre will feature galleries on biodiversity and conservation as well as a theatre, souvenir shop, cafe, play area, classroom and resource centre.

“The idea is to hold the visitor’s interest. We will introduce several interactive games involving computers,” explained Sinha.

The government has decided to locate the park outside the wetlands since, like the Hong Kong wetlands, it is a Ramsar site and its character cannot be changed.