Horticulture Department planning to expand biodiversity in Karnataka

Bengaluru: The Horticulture Department is gearing up to expand the bio-diversity of Karnataka by increasing the number of botanical gardens in various districts, documenting current species and adding plants to existing gardens.

Mr Yellappa Reddy, environmentalist and head of Tree Committee for Garden Development and Management, said, “We are studying gardens like Lalbagh, mapping and recording their biodiversity. We are also identifying new spaces for creating botanical gardens. So far, we have come across 5-6 places in Bengaluru, two in Mysuru, two in Tumakuru and many more.”

The tree committee, while documenting the existing biodiversity, is focusing on botanical gardens and also parks like Cubbon. But planting of any species is a different ballgame when it comes to parks, the officials say. 

Explaining the efforts involved, Mr Reddy said, “We look at available government land, the soil type, depth, landscape type, like pastures, grasslands, marshes and decide what plant, herb or tree is suitable to be grown there. By next month, we will collate these, prepare a detailed project report and present it to the Department."

The aim of the exercise is to conserve biodiversity, protect endangered species and conduct scientific studies on botanical gardens, he said. The government will act based on the Tree Committee’s suggestions.

With respect to the city, Horticulture Department Commissioner P.C. Ray said that procurement of new species in Lalbagh is already complete. “The flora in Lalbagh was originally designed and arranged in a scientific way. We will add 100 more botanical species in the gaps available in the garden, by following the same arrangement. The new genus are in the conservatory right now," he said.

“Since Cubbon Park is not botanical, we can be little freer when it comes to planting new species, by resorting to ad hoc alternate arrangements," he said.