Hyderabad: There is Corona impact everywhere and the city’s Nehru Zoological Park is no exception. The Zoo’s authorities have decided to terminate the services of battery operated vehicles’ drivers from immediate effect.
The Zoo authorities had introduced these vehicles to safeguard the environment which were very popular among the visitors to see the Zoo’s animals and birds by sitting comfortably in these eco-friendly vehicles.
The terminated drivers were told not to come to their duties till the Park is re-opened again. This decision of the Zoo authorities lead to dismay and unhappiness of the drivers.
The terminated drivers condemn their sudden and arbitrary termination which they describe as illegal. They demand that they must be paid six month’s salaries as per the Government labour law.
In the past, the former Zoo Curator Shivani Dogra had also suddenly laid off 200 employees of the zoo. These terminated employees had requested the government and the Minister of Forest to help them.
It is not only the battery operated vehicles’ deivers who are to suffer the Covid-19 consequences, even the animals have started suffering. For the first time in the country Covid infection of wild animals has become alarming.
In Hyderabad Nehru Zoological Park, 8 lions were diagnosed with corona positive at the same time. Authorities say the lions contracted the coronavirus due to the negligence of zoo staff.
Eight lions have not been taking food at the zoo since the 24th of last month. They had symptoms like cold and cough and were tested positive for RT-PCR test.