JOIN USTree parks in all district headquarters soon
If one sees, Parks do not just add to the beauty of the city but they also become identity of that particular city.
In a proposals of the Department of Forest, Tree Parks will be developed in all the district headquarters of the state on Cubbon Park and Lalbaugh model to boost tourism.
Each Tree Park will be developed in an area of 100 hectare with all the tourist amenities. The Forest Department has already identified the forests in 30 districts where the parks will be developed. All the districts will be developed with one Park each, while Bangalore Urban will get six more Tree Parks and Bangalore Rural will get two Tree Parks.
Informing the action plan to Deccan Herald, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Development) G V Sugur said Tree Parks will be developed at a cost of Rs 3 crore each. A sum of Rs 15 crore is required to develop six Parks in Bangalore Urban alone. The Department has planned the Park structure in such a way that along with the trees, ornamental plants and Ayurvedic plants are grown in the Park. The unique feature of the project will be that, each park will have different themes like Nandana Vana, Seetaashoka Vana, Panchavati Vana, Vaignanika Vana etc, he informed.
To attract the visitors the Park will consist of pathways, resting points, play park for children, canteen and drinking water kiosks. The Department is contemplating to develop watershed management to restore the ground water recharge capacity. Preservation of natural drainage ways, creating bicycle trails, building eco-friendly architecture are some of the other priorities of the department.
Sugur informed that the Park will be built in areas which are 5-6 km away from the district headquarters.
“The basic idea behind developing Tree Park is to promote eco-tourism. If the Park can be a leisure place for the elders, it would be a source of education to the children. To protect the beauty of the Park, it would be fenced (chain link) from all sides. Once the development of the Park is completed, steps will be taken to conserve the soil moisture in the Parks,” he said.
Private participation
The Department is anticipating private participation to carry out the project successfully. As high investment is required to realise the plan, the Department seeks the willing private participants and sponsorers to pay a sum of Rs 3 crore for fencing the area and provide basic amenities. The official said that the sponsors will be in turn provided with several benefits like ten year name tenure (park will be named after the sponsors), exclusive access to certain facilities like tented areas, watch towers among others.
With the Chief Minister earmarking Rs 49 crore for the project in his last budget, the Forest Department is waiting for the Finance officer to sanction the required amount. Sugur expects the amount to be sanctioned in another 10 days for the work to commence.