Udhagamandalam to get second botanical garden

This park which would come up in addition to the existing Government Botanical Garden and will be set up at a cost of Rs 10 crore in an expanse of 80 acres. Home to many old exotic species, the botanical garden has a footfall of 20 lakh tourists, including foreigners. It also draws Botany and students from India and abroad. Annually, the Government Rose Garden draws out 10 lakh tourists and the garden has a 27,000 types of fauna comprising 4,000 varieties. The new park is expected to become another major attraction in the hill station.

The Horticulture Society was established in 1847 by the then Governor of Madras Marquess of Tweeddale for the Government Botanical Garden and was completed in 1867. Factoring the increase in traffic and inconvenience caused for parking vehicles, the government has also proposed to set up a vehicle parking lot in the hill station with a capacity to hold 500 vehicles, said Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. The CM said the state would promote millets cultivation, banana cultivation, and use of technology in cultivation of vegetables besides starting diploma courses in Horticulture and spend Rs 127 crore for the announcements in the Agriculture department.

“State would offer 500 more solar pumps apart from Kuruvai Package and to benefit the farmers from non-delta region at Rs 50 crore with a subsidy of 90 per cent would also be offered,” he said. He also made a slew of announcements in Handlooms and Textiles Department to promote white silk production and silk production, among others.