A botanical garden will come up on 15 acres around Lingambudhi Lake as the state government has sanctioned Rs 70 lakh.
Thousands of flowers and plant species, including exotic varieties of roses, different coloured opuntia, wasabi and medicinal plants, will be grown at the garden. The garden will not only improve the city’s green cover, but will also educate children in identifying different plant and flower species.
It will have a modern look and there are plans to construct a playground for children inside the garden.
Officials said that they are planning to make it attractive like the Lalbagh in Bangalore and develop it as a major tourist spot in the district.
According to officials, the estimated cost of the project is around Rs 10 crore and it will be completed in four to five phases. In the first phase, pathways, the Horticulture Department office, gazebos, artificial boating ponds, sitting arrangements and borewells will be constructed. The area was handed over by the Forest Department to the Horticulture Department in 2001.
The Horticulture Department has plans to take up water harvesting on five acres. Horticulture Department assistant Director Balu B P Gowda said that the work will commence in two months and added that the Department will soon block sewage water from entering the lake.
“Four sewage pipelines from the neighbouring localities of Ramakrishna Nagar, Kuvempunagar, Srirampura and others are currently being let directly into the lake and this will be stopped,” he said. The officials have written to the Corporation seeking a permanent diversion of the sewage water.
They have also obtained permission from the Forest Department to cut 243 Eucalyptus trees for garden.