Mubashir Bukhari
Srinagar (NVI): 13 lakh tulip bulbs are going to bloom at Asia’s largest Tulip garden in Srinagar in March this year, J&K Floriculture Department has said.
The garden, which is spread to over 30 hectares, is situated at the mesmerizing foothills of the Zabarwan hills on the banks of the Dal Lake and remains open from March end to April end every year.
The opening of the tulip garden marks the beginning of the tourist season in Kashmir.
The tulip garden has attracted filmmakers as shooting of various Bollywood films have taken place here in the last 10 years.
Earlier known as Siraj Bagh, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden was opened in 2008 by then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
The idea of the garden was conceived to advance the tourism season in the Valley by about two months. The average life span of the tulip flower is three to four weeks, but heavy rains or too much of heat can destroy it.
In 2014, it was declared as the second best tulip garden in the world by World Tulip Summit Society.
Director Floriculture Kashmir Farooq Ahmed Rather said that sprouting of bulbs is in progress and are expected to bloom at the scheduled time of Tulip festival. “Last year 1.2 million bulbs were planted and this year 13 lakhs were planted in the Tulip garden adding four more varieties,” he said.
Secretary Floriculture, Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad today reviewed the preparations for opening of Tulip Garden in the summer capital during a meeting with officials of Floriculture Department here.
The meeting was also attended by Director Floriculture Kashmir Farooq Ahmed Rather.
Highlighting the importance of the Tulip Garden in the tourism map of J&K, Secretary Floriculture asked the concerned to add more varieties for attraction of tourists. He said one lakh more tulip bulbs in Tulip garden have been planted this year.
He also asked the officials to maintain a feedback register for tourists and incorporate the suggestions in next tulip season.
The meeting also decided to plant coniferous plants around the Tulip Garden.
During the meeting, the Secretary also reviewed the preparations for observing Chinar Day which falls on 15th March.
The Secretary impressed upon the officers to distribute and plant 10,000 Chinar saplings on the Day across Kashmir.
He asked the officers to involve educational institutions, government offices, NGOs, masjid committees and youth groups.
Director Floriculture informed the meeting that he is hopeful that sustained efforts of the department to revive Chinar tree population will be realized in coming years.
Secretary Floriculture also reviewed the progress of schemes under ATMA, MIDH, RKVY and other government projects going on in different areas of Kashmir.
Stating that there are 7000 registered commercial flower growers in Kashmir, Secretary Floriculture directed the officers to facilitate these growers with every possible help from department so that more and more young farmers can adopt flower growing as a business model.
He also called for inculcating the practice of cleanliness and sanitation as a norm in every garden and park, making them more floriferous, aesthetic and ravishing throughout the year.
