Aquarium

Jagdishchandra Bose Municipal Aquarium

MUNICIPAL AQUARIUM, CHOWK BAZAR

The exiting Aquarium is an integral unit & aqua part of Dr.Shyamprasad Mukerjee Zoological Garden & is situated at Kasturba Gandhi Bal Udhyan, popularly known as Pakshighar (old mini zoo, Chowk Bazar.Being located in the heart of the Surat City, it attracts more & more children from the walled city area of Surat. It contains 36 nos.of beautiful aquarium boxes, in which 36 varities of fresh water ornamental fishes have been displayed in simulated, safe & secured environment. This aquarium was damaged severly during dreades flood-2006, which has again been up dated by the efforts of zoo & aquarium staff with the valuable guidence of the superiors and support of competent authority.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY AQUARIUM PROJECT

The New Concept

As old aquarium does not fulfill the criteria of national & international standard & not scientifically competent to display wide variety of aqua life. it has envisaged the idea to establish a bigger & modern facility at Jagdish Chandra Bose Udhyan to captivate & display Marine, Brakish & Fresh water fishes along with other aquatic flora & fauna for the purpose of conservation, education, research & recreation.

The fresh water section will be comprises of indigenous & exotic varities. The fresh water fishes endemic to Gujarat will be given prominence among the indigenous varieties. Among the exotic varieties, more then 100 varieties of exotic fishes normally found in the estuaries of Gujarat will be exhibited so as to given in depth information about the brackish water bio-diversity found in Gujarat. The marine section will be the largest where fishes found in the coastal waters of our country including the Island fishes will be exhibited.

Environmental Aspects

The aquarium is an eco-friendly vivarium in which water-dweling animals/plants are kept which inclued fish, invertibrates, amphibians, marine animals, turtles & aquatic plants. The aquarium has no adverse impact on the local enviroment from which it draws & expels freshwater, brackish water & sea water. The major aquariums/marine parks all over the world are located just at seashore & reports from the government department administering these instiuttes reveal that it inflict no deleterious effect on enveironment. New aquarium is also situated close to the river, where water condition are brackish & it is expected that the discharge from the aquarium will benefit the brackish water environment available in the conservation of marine bio-diversity. This aquarium will also act as a centre of excellence for imparting education, scientific information and conservasion of aquatic bio-diversity. The past 25 years reports from various aquariums all over the world indicate that the construction of aquarium at the seashore or in an area close to seashore will have no adverse impact on local environment.

Collection Plan

The collection plan of bio-diversity, which will going to be captivated for the purpose of display & breeding includes coastal life, reef discovery, indigenouns and exotic fresh water fishes, estuarine and brackish water fishes, turtle touch pool, sharks & sting rays etc.

Code of Conduct for Visitors

• Respect aquarium staff & volunteers, whose responsibility is to help you get the most from your aquarium experience and to maintain a safe & comfortable atmosphere for all visitors.

• Visitors should follow rules related to all aquarium animals, facilities, equipment & resources.

• Respect other visitors & their right to have a positive experience at aquarium.

• Children under the age of 9 should be attended all times by a parent, caregiver or someone over the age 13, who has the authority to look after them.

• Aquarium staff is not responsible for children left unattended or without supervision in the aquarium building / premises.

• Protect your personal property while in the aquarium or on aquarium property. The aquarium management can't take responsibility for lost or stolen property.

• Make entry to aquarium with prescribed ticket & produced before the authority as & when demanded.

• Misusing aquarium facility & premises.

• Bringing pet animals in the aquarium.

• feeding of animals.

• Crossing the barriers that protect visitors & animals.

• Creating a public disturbance, e.g. talking loudly in conversation of on cell phone.

• Failing to attend child below 9 years of age.

• Interfering with free passage.

• Stealing, mutilating or defacing aquarium & or property.

• Using alcohol or illegal drugs of behavior.

• Using obscene or abusive language.

• Bringing eatables, polythene bags & littering of any kind.

• Smoking & chewing tobacco / Pan masala / gutkha & spitting.

• Carring radio / tap recorder / musical instrument.

• Carring weapon / explosives / cracker etc.

• Carring any type of camera & undertake photography.

Fine/Penalty/Police Action

The aquarium staff on duty have the authority to enforce code of conduct for visitors/rules of conduct and may impose fine/penalty as may think fit to the situation and intiate appropriate legal and police action too on occurrence of questionable or inappropriate behaviour by the visitor individually or in group The amount of fine/penalty against inappropriate behaviour is as under:

Timings

1. March to Oct. : 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
2. Nove. to Feb. : 10:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Public Holiday

Municipal Aquarium will remain close for the visitors on Dhuleti, Mahoram & Ganesh Visarjan(Anad Chaudas).

TICKETS (Entry fee per head)

1. Person (18-65 years) Rs.100/-

2. Children (3-17 years) Rs.40/-

3. Senior Citizen (above 65 years) Rs.60/-

4. Students from educational institute (3-17 years) Rs.40/-

5. Persons from women protection centre, orphanage, handicapped and mentally challenged institutes, juvenile homes,persons from Arm forces (irrespective Of age) Rs.20/-

6. Kids from SMC Managed primary Schools Rs.20/-

7. Person from WWF / person involved with the activities of environment protection Rs.60/-

8. Foreigner Children (3-17 years) Rs.200/-

9. Foreigner (18-65 years) Rs.400/-

10. Foreign Senior Citizen (65- years & above) Rs.200/-

11. Wheelchair for Disabled - Free

Main Attraction of Municipal Aquarium

• Fresh & brakish water section

• Marine water section

• Shark pool

• Turtle touch pool

• Koi fish pond

• Whale shark skeleton

• Beautiful lanscaping with fountain & water fall

Visitor Amenities

• Washing & toilet

• Cafeteria

• Wheelchair for Disabled

• Parking

• Benches