Patna, Feb. 13: A green gift from the state government has become a cause of heartburn for morning walkers in the capital.

In its bid to free the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park of the early-morning swarm of joggers, the administration has made an alternative arrangement at the Rajdhani Vatika (Eco Park), located just 1.5km from the zoo.

The park, being developed by the forest department, however, has peeved the morning walkers who have been visiting the zoo for years now.

Everyday from 5am to 8am, the zoo, considered the ‘lungs’ of Patna, remains free for people who come down in scores to breathe fresh air, jog and practise yoga.

The joggers complain that the Eco Park cannot be an alternative as it does not have many trees.

Also, the presence of a stinking drain inside the park has driven off the health freaks who want fresh air.

District forest officer Surender Singh told The Telegraph the zoo is going through a lot of strain because of overcrowding.

“The zoo is facing a lot of pressure and it is very important for us to maintain it. For this purpose, we have made the alternative arrangement for the morning walkers,” the officer said.

Sources said the zoo could soon completely block the entry of morning walkers, as according to the forest authorities, the crowd disturbs the animals.

The Telegraph visited both the parks and sought public opinion on the plan to ban morning walk in Patna zoo.

Most of the morning walkers at the zoo expressed resentment over the move.

Seventy-one-year-old Deo Narayan Rai, a retired secretariat employee who has been visiting the zoo every morning for more than seven years now, said: “Greenery at the Patna zoo is thicker than any other place in Patna. The zoo currently has over 300 species of various plants.”

The zoo, which started as a botanical garden, has thick green cover with a nursery for medicinal plants, an orchid house, a fern house and a rose house.

Rai’s friend Vinod Singh, who too visits the zoo every morning, said: “The Rajdhani Vatika, which is being developed as a joggers’ park by the state government, is still under construction and has very less greenery. Also the park stinks as a canal passes through the premises, carrying dirty water from the Secretariat.”

Singh further said: “People go to open areas for morning walk to inhale fresh air which is not available at the Eco Park.”

The Patna zoo is visited daily by many bureaucrats, IPS officers, leaders from various parties and businessmen.

Sanjay Bothra, a businessman who has been going to the zoo for three years now, said that the biggest advantage of the botanical garden is its pond.

“It takes more than 10 minutes to run around the pond once. The distance is 1080 metres and if a person makes four rounds, he will easily cover over 4km, burning huge amount of calories,” said Bothra, adding: “I live in Patliputra Colony which also has decent greenery but I never miss a chance to visit the zoo for morning walks. I will always want to come here. There is no way I will go to the Eco Park. If the government is thinking of banning the entry for morning walkers, it should think again.”

Meanwhile, Surendra Singh said the drainage canal passing through the Eco Park will be mended.

“Some portions of the canal will be covered. Also herbal plants will be planted on the bed on the canal which through organic reaction would convert inorganic components to organic,” he said.

Elaborating the merits of the Eco Park, the official said it houses more than 2,000 plants with medicinal values along with peepal and banyan trees.

Trees with religious significance have also been planted at the park.

“This park has been developed with a religious viewpoint and it is named Smriti Park. The Vatika has a “Tirthankar Van” (forest) to promote virtues of Jainism, Rashi Van for Hinduism, Char Bagh for Islam and Buddha Vatika for Buddhism. Plants related to each zodiac sign in Hindu culture are also planted here,” Singh added.

Visitors at the Eco Park said they liked its concept but added that it will take some time for the plan to take proper shape.

“I am happy to see this park, as there are very beautiful, useful and significant plants planted here. I am also happy because the Rashi Vanhere reveals all the secrets related to zodiac signs and which plant is suitable for which sign. It also beautifies our environment and makes it pollution-free, so indeed it is a meritorious work done by the authorities,” said Arun Kumar, a visitor.

However, Kumar added that most of the plants planted here are saplings and they will require more than five years to grow into trees like the ones present at the Sanjay Gandhi Zoological park.

The Sanjay Gandhi Botanical Garden, which is located near Bailey Road was opened to the public as a zoo in 1973, and is one of the 16 largest zoos in India.

“The park is good but the drain is a major problem. Something needs to be done about this and fast or else the number of visitors will not increase,” said Animesh Jain, a businessman who had come to the park for morning walk.