BSP MEMORIALS TO HAVE A GREENER HUE

LUCKNOW: BSP memorials in the city are all set to go greener. The dried up palm trees that dot these monuments would now be replaced by flowering trees to add a verdant touch to their granite and sandstone surroundings.

“We had undertaken a survey of the three main memorials -- Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and Baudh Vihar Shanti Upvan -- and found that 80 per cent of these trees had dried up,” says in-charge of their upkeep panel Jyoti Dixit. The survey, according to officials, was undertaken after senior BSP leader Nasimuddin Siddiqui pointed out how these hundreds of palms, procured at a price of around Rs 8,000 a piece during the BSP regime, had withered away due to neglect.

Dixit was evasive on the exact number of dead trees but said an action plan for fresh plantation had been prepared according to the specific need of the area, both inside and on the outer periphery and roads around these monuments. “Since they (palms) neither provided any shade nor are eco-friendly trees, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asked us to replace them with greener and more useful plants,” said an official. These dead trees would now make way for varieties like Corisia and Amaltash, plants which not only suit the climatic conditions of the city but also are attractive and ecofriendly.

“With dark pink and slightly yellowish petals, Corisia is an ornamental plant, which remains in full bloom for almost a month from November to December,” said a horticulture official.

He said the trees was best suited for ‘avenue plantation and pathways’ as it provided shade and added to the beauty of the surroundings without causing any traffic hindrance. Ditto for Amaltash, both of which, according to sources, are a favorite pick of the CM and can been seen in abundance in full-bloom alongside the lush green pathways of the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Park.

“The state government has just sanctioned the budget for plantation. We will be planting these saplings and you will see the result by the year-end,” said the memorial official.

The Lokayukt report on BSP memorials had indicted the then Mayawati regime of spending crores on procuring and planting these date palms.

The plantation work was undertaken by the LDA and the Rajkiye Nirman Nigam. “I clearly remember the then LDA VC Rajiv Aggarwal had drastically slashed the prices quoted by the supplier of these date palms but the contractor did not honor the agreement on their maintenance and upkeep,” said an LDA official.