BENGALURU: Nature lovers, rejoice. Bengaluru airport is offering a chance to citizens to take home a plant. With an aim to spread greenery and create a positive impact on the environment, Bangalore International Airport Limited, the operator of KIA, will give away around 10,000 plants to each interested passenger and visitor in phases. The initiative will start from June 5 to mark World Environment Day.
“Bengalureans generally enjoy gardening and are nature-lovers. So we decided to offer them plants, which have been removed from the airport premises during new infrastructure development. We are spreading the word through both social and traditional media in order to connect with people,” Tom Shimmin, chief project officer, BIAL, said.
Infrastructure development worth `13,000 crore is in the pipeline for the airport, one of the pioneers in greenfield airport projects. To be designed just like a garden, Terminal 2 of the airport will include more plants and flowers. Several trees and shrubs that are in the path of expansion will be safely translocated to other locations, while other plants that cannot be reused will be given away to the public for free.
A variety of plants will be available, including Rhoeo (Oyster plant), Tradescantia pallida purpurea (Purple heart), Tradescantia zebrina (Inch plant), Zephyranthes candida (White lily) and Zephyranthes rosea (Pink lily). Hari Marar, MD and CEO, BIAL, said, “At BIAL, we are committed to achieving excellence in environment sustainability. We have made a long-term commitment to sustainability and community engagement that will bring about a change in culture.”
Passengers and visitors to the airport can sign up to be part of the initiative by registering on the airport website or referring to its social media platforms. They can also provide details on site to collect their plant at The Quad by BLR.