AP's largest nursery to spring up at Simhachalam

VISAKHAPATNAM: The AP Urban Greening and Beautification Corporation Limited (APUGBCL) is planning to develop a mega nursery for nurturing various types of saplings in Visakhapatnam district. According to sources, APUGBCL has been allotted around 120 acres belonging to Simhachalam Devasthanams on lease basis at Adavivaram for development of the nursery in the district.
Confirming the news to TOI, APUGBCL zonal manager (north zone) T Das said, "This is going to be the largest such nursery in AP spread over 120 acres. Another one is being set up over 100 acres at Srikalahasti with the aim of supplying plants for beautification across the state."
An official at Simhachalam Temple said, "The proposal for developing nursery at Simhachalam has been proposed and it will probably be among the biggest in the state. The corporation will also help in the beautification of Simhachalam Temple also."
Specifically for meeting the needs of Simhachalam Temple, plants such as sandalwood and tulsi, among others, will be grown, sources said.
According to an APUGBCL official, about 50% of the area will be earmarked for plants needed for Simhachalam temple and the remaining 50% area will be utilised by the corporation for supplying saplings to the five coastal districts from Srikakulam to West Godavari.
"We have four corporations, including Vizag, Kakinada, Rajahmundry and Eluru, and 31 municipalities in these five districts under our zone and we will be supplying plants to this nursery to cater to this zone," the official explained.
While the financial estimates for the project are yet to be finalised, sources said the corporation is now looking at devising an architectural plan and also conducting an electronic survey to identify the various plants that are required for different parts of north zone.
As per the target set by APUGBCL for the current fiscal, the corporation aims to distribute around 1.7 lakh plants in the three north coastal districts. Apart from the GVMC limits, APUGBCL is also looking at sapling plantation at Komalgunda Park on a half-acre area at Yelamanchali and Lassapaatrudu Park at Narsipatnam.
For this year, APUGBCL is targeting supplying 60,000 saplings to seven urban local bodies of Srikakulam district, 50,000 saplings to five urban local bodies of Vizianagaram district. At the same time, the corporation has set a target of distributing around 50,000 saplings in Visakhapatnam district. Meanwhile, East Godavari will have a lion's share of 1.6 lakh saplings, whereas 1.1 lakh saplings would be distributed in West Godavari during the current fiscal.
APUGBCL was formed by the state government to design and implement greening and beautification of all urban and peri-urban areas to convert empty spaces into lung spaces for improving the green footprint across the state.