HYDERABAD: Nearly 20 acres of land in Sanjeevaiah Park will be revitalised by developing different theme parks including Nakshatra Vanam and Butterfly Park by the end of December.
The said land was utilised in the past for storing the silt that was removed from the Hussainsagar as part of the Hussainsagar Lake and Catchment Area Improvement Project (HCIP) which is taken up with the assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The silt and other solid wastes that have been removed from the lake have been shifted to a dumping yard on the outskirts of the city.
The 20-acre site will now be restored to its pristine glory. The proposed theme parks include Bambusetum Garden (garden of 50 to 60 bamboo plants collected from different parts of the country), Palmetum Garden (palm or arecaceae plants) and Butterfly Park at a cost of Rs 3 crore with JICA assistance.
Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority officials told Express that Nakshatra Vanam with 27 trees associated with birth stars (zodiac signs) will also be developed.
According to Indian astrology, prediction about a human being’s fortunes is made basing on the nakshatra (star) and raasi (zodiac sign) in which sun was positioned at the time of birth. Every nakshatra has a symbolic tree or plant that defines its connection with eternal nature. Each nakshatra is associated with a tree. These trees are of medicinal, social or aesthetic value.
It will be worthwhile for citizens to know which tree belongs to their janma nakshatram (birth star) and to have some idea about its medicinal values or other important aspects. The presence of 27 trees directly creates a healthy and sound physical, mental, psychological and spiritual well-being, the officials said.
“Besides, the trees associated with all the zodiac signs will help create awareness in visitors about our cultural heritage. Each tree signifies a specific star. For example, ‘Atthi’ tree symbolises ‘Kartika’. Such saplings will be collected from various parts of the country and planted in the park here,” they added.
BUTTERFLY PARK: A Butterfly Park will also be developed in the vicinity to attract various species of butterflies found in Hyderabad and other places with perennial flowering plants which yield nectar.
Sanjeevaiah Park, which used to be swarmed with varieties of colourful butterflies, was marred by dredging of the lake, and efforts will be to attract butterflies again to the park by planting several nectar-yielding flowering plants.
BAMBUSETUM GARDEN: Another new attraction will be Bambusetum Park (a garden having a collection of bamboo plants). Over 50 species of bamboos will be collected from across the country and planted in the
20-acre part of the 92-acre Sanjeevaiah Park.
PALMETUM GARDEN: About 70 to 80 varieties of palm trees, including some which are extinct now, will be collected from from across the country and be displayed here.
The walkway, about 1 to 1.5 km long, which was damaged due to lake dredging, will be relaid with landscape and flowering species up to the shoreline of PV Ghat.