Washermenpet to get heritage garden

CHENNAI: The city will have a 5-acre green space at Washermenpet, where the

horticulture

department will be setting up a

heritage

garden. The

garden

will have various native

species

of

trees

and plants, including those mentioned in Sangam literature and those that are slowly disappearing.

While plaques will help visitors learn about the species, saplings will be sold so people can grow them themselves. “The idea is to preserve, bring back our old

native

species and at the same time, encourage the public to be proactive and take steps to conserve them,” said a senior official from the department.

The project is estimated to cost around Rs 80 lakh and is likely to open by the end of the year.

Officials said the park will have more than 100 native varieties of trees and plants and have sub-gardens. It will also have a small pond, inbuilt irrigation and drain systems. Ramps will also be set up to make the space disabled-friendly.

A part of the park will be allotted for a museum to feature ancient and modern pieces of equipment used for agriculture and plantation, where visitors will also get a virtual audiovisual tour of the fauna and flora of Tamil Nadu. The park will also have a person to guide visitors in buying the right kind of species that they can grow in their homes, depending on the soil.

“We will also be creating an app that will show have details of the nature and type of soil present in different parts of the city. This way, people can plant a species that suits their surroundings,” the official said, adding that arrangements are being made to facilitate social distancing and other safety protocol.

Over 100 native species of plants have vanished from the city’s landscapes over the last many decades.

Green activists said a heritage garden would be helpful and that was vital that it be maintained well, starting from proactively involving people from the neighbourhood. “Creating new green spaces is always welcome in any urban area, particularly a bustling metro like Chennai. It would be great if the local body can reach out to involve citizens in its care and upkeep. Sharing responsibility could ensure more safety nets for our open spaces, and our own health in so many ways,” said Shobha Menon, founder trustee, Nizhal. “Such citizen involvement would definitely improve the city’s environmental health,” she added.


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