‘TN’s largest bio park in Vellore soon’

Following the trifurcation of Vellore district last year, the Navlock farm and horticulture garden near Ranipet became part of the newly-formed Ranipet district. Hence, in a bid to attract tourists and simultaneously ensure availability of quality seeds for farmers at below subsidised rates and to safeguard native tree and plant species, the park would come up at Agaramcheri village in Gudiyattam taluk, Collector Shanmuga Sundaram said.

Further, to sustain the availability of Siddha- and Ayurveda-related plant species, the park would have a herbal garden where such herbs and plants would be grown, the Collector said, adding that tree species native to the district wouldalso be nursed.

The proposed park will also raise nurseries for coconut and paddy in addition to lime, mango, guava, chikku, pomegranate, jack fruit and kodukapuli varieties, he averred.

The highlight of the park would be taking up planting according to the star sign of individuals. Based on information, visitors can undertake planting of saplings related to their star sign and thereby increase green cover in the State, in addition to promoting local floral cover, the Collector said. The park would also have various facilities to enable visitors to have a thoroughly enjoyable experience, he added.

Besides, endangered flora would be maintained through the setting up of a germ plasm centre in the park which will also have a host of tourism-related activities.

While a toy train will enthral visitors, those wanting to visit far flung areas of the park will be taken to the location of their choice through battery-operated cars, theCollector said.

Said to be bigger than Ooty’s 55-acre botanical garden, the Collector said that a model of the park has been handed over to the Horticultural development agency and added that work is expected to start soon.