Mumbai’s oldest aquarium promised a great deal while closing for a revamp. But it has failed to catalyse tourism
Mumbai was promised a swanky interactive aquarium in 2013, when the Taraporevala Aquarium at Charni Road, established in 1951, was shut for renovation. But Rs 22 crore later, the aquarium fails to leave a mark.
Visitors are barely any richer in their understanding of aquatic life on display.
Shruti Sinha, a resident of Hyderabad who took her son to the aquarium for a visit, said the first thing her 14-year-old pointed out upon entering the aquarium was a spelling error: 'alligator' was misspelt. Other tanks displayed no information about fish. "Those that did, barely made any sense, nor gave us useful information about the fish. We decided to do an Internet search for the few names of the fish displayed to seek out information," she said, adding that the tanks not only looked dirty but were "depressing".
Rajat Gandhi, another visitor, said, "One can barely say this is a revamped aquarium. The information screens don't work. Details are pasted on a paper next to the tanks. It looks dirty. I have been to aquariums abroad. I hope we get one like those."
The aquarium has fresh, marine and tropical fishes for display. Some of the most popular tanks are the ones with clownfish, sea snakes, arowana and angelfish. The tropical fish section is better lit and has information displayed.
There is a 45-seat theatre that runs documentaries but visitors claimed they were all in English, and only talked about tuna fishing.
The most talked about attraction — a three-strides-long tunnel aquarium right at the entrance — is nothing to vaunt. There are hardly any fishes in it. And the viewing is obstructed by dirty specks.
"An aquarium should ideally be a place of infotainment, not a room where fish are kept. Taraporevala Aquarium looks gloomy due to bad lighting. It lacks basics like vets, quarantine room and proper filtration system. So many fishes and even two turtles have died recently," said a veterinarian who has worked with aquariums across the world. The vet added that the aquarium should add a museum with taxidermy specimens as well as skeletal setups of fishes.
A senior aquarium official said, "We are in process of purchasing new species will make the tanks interesting. There are some issues and we are trying to resolve them."
1951 Taraporevala Aquarium opens
Rs 22 cr Cost of aquarium makeover
Mar 2015 Aquarium reopens after renovation
PROMISED ATTRACTIONS
Tunnel aquarium: In poor condition with few fishes
Fish spa: Cancelled
Documentaries: Limited films
Touch pool: Cancelled
TOURISTS WANT
Sharks, turtles, jellyfish, stingrays, exotic fishes
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