Chandigarh, Jan 31 : The Chandigarh Administration seems fully charged up. Bouyed up by the success of its greening plans, now it is singing a different hospitality tune. As there has been a surge in the number of foreign tourists coming to Chandigarh, the Administration has decided to give a new look to the Botanical Garden to be the new tourist destination in the western zone of Chandigarh.
Having donned the cap of the greenest city in Asia, Chandigarh is well on the road to emerging as a city of parks to attract more and more local and foreign tourists. The Nature Interpretation Centre shall promote Eco Tourism and assist the tourist to get themselves educated and aware about rich flora and fauna heritage of the lower Shivalik hills. The flora information shall relate to prominent trees grown in this area are Acacia catechu (Khair), Azadirachta indica (neem) , Dalbergia Sisoo (Shisham),Bauhinia (Kachnar),Emblica officinalis (Amla)etc
A special section shall be carved out in Nature Interpretation Centre to highlight the variety of rich flora and fauna heritage of this area. The Nepli and Kansal forest are natural abode for mammals like Sambar, Pangolin (ant eater) jackal and langoor. Birds like grey partridge , Red jungle fowl, peacocks etc even variety of reptiles and insects are also found in these forest area.
Since the area of Botanical Garden is a spread of 10 acres therefore special tourist touch screen kiosk shall be installed to disseminate information about the various features of this eco tourism park where tourist can visit their specific area of interest, tree top huts and meditation huts be the highlight features of Botanical Garden with its unique designs and location within the Botanical Garden.
Upcoming development in this area shall make Botanical Garden the biggest nature park, spread over an area of 176 acres having more than hundred of species of medicinal trees and shrubs, etc. The botanical park has many interesting botanic sections like Bulbous Garden, Japanese garden and Nutrition Garden, etc which shall be of great interests to foreign as well as domestic tourists.
The tourism infrastructure like tree top huts, meditation huts; cycle tracks and pedestrian tracks have already been developed in Eco-tourism Park cum Botanical Garden. More tourist facilities are being added with a financial support to the tune of more than 300 lac from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
Mr Ram Niwas, Home-cum-Tourism Secretary, Chandigarh Administration said that the Administration has already taken the initiative to make this Eco-Tourism Park, a major tourist spot on the western side of the city near village Sarangpur. The Tourism facilities would be set up with the Central Financial Assistance of MOT, which includes setting up of a Nature Interpretation Centre which shall display the flora and fauna to be found in Kansal and Nepli forest sanctuaries of Chandigarh, he said.
Till now, More than 75 species of medicinal trees and 55 species of medicinal shrubs, herbs and climbers have already been planted in this garden which not only promotes tourism but also conserves the flora and spreads awareness about floral Heritage.