Largest tunnel aquarium in country coming up in Telangana's Hyderabad; tenders floated

The largest tunnel aquarium will be developed with a government-private partnership at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore.

Hyderabad: In a major development, the country's largest tunnel aquarium will be built in the suburbs of Hyderabad cityof Hyderabad, officials said. It is learnt that the mega project will be developed with a government-private partnership at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), which is executing the project, invited global tenders on Friday in this regard.

A deadline has been set to submit tenders by the end of this month. First, the technical bids will be scrutinized, followed by the price bid. An official said that the company which wins the tender will be required to complete the project in the next two years. The project will be handed over to the company that wins the bid for a period of 30 years on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) basis, an official associated with the project said.

The largest tunnel aquarium will run along the park, which is being developed under the auspices of HMDA on 150 acres at Kotwalguda near Himayatsagar. The mega tunnel aquarium will be built on five acres of land as per officials. At present, aquariums of this kind are in Chennai Marine Park and Science City in Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

As per officials, the tunnel aquarium 100 meters long and 3.5 feet wide will offer an under water feel for the tourists visiting the aquarium. The aquarium will be supplied with water by tanks with a capacity of three thousand million liters. Sharks and dolphins will be among the many kinds of fishes to be kept at the aquarium.

The tunnel aquarium will also boast of a restaurant, theater, and other modern amenities for the visitors. Special halls will also be available for birthdays, weddings, and other occasions. Being a hilly area, bungee jumping and trekking will also be set up in the area.