Sunken garden in Lalbagh to take another six months

BENGALURU: Nature lovers, walkers and regular Lalbagh visitors will have to wait another six months before they see the ‘Sunken garden’ open in Lalbagh. While the idea was announced towards the end of 2016, the garden was supposed to be ready sometime in September 2018. The project is set to see a delay of another six months, one of the reasons being acclimatisation of plants from other places.

The one-and-a-half-acre bowl-like-structure was thought to add to the bio-diversity of the botanical garden that does not currently have many aquatic plants.

“We have been able to grow 30 per cent of the species in Lalbagh itself, such as three varieties of Alocasia. We have procured the remaining from BR hills and Pune. These include Water Bamboo, Heliconia flowering plants, Water Lilies, Typha grass meant for marshy areas, Sweet Flag, aromatic species, medicinal plants, Wild Gingers, water climbers, Lichens and orchids,” said M R Chandrashekar, deputy director of Horticulture department (Lalbagh).

“Civil works are happening fast but the species we procured from other places need time to acclimatise to the Bengaluru climate. This will require another six months before we open it to the public. Thereafter, we will continue adding more species. The aquatic plants will be submerged in water, that is half a feet deep. We are also going to add a drip irrigation and sprinkler system,” he said.

There will be paths to walk on for visitors surrounding the plants. The department has invested `20 lakh to procure plants and Rs 60 lakh for civil works. They are also adding a six-feet-deep tank or pond in the middle of the sunken garden. 

M Jagadeesh, joint director of the department (parks and gardens) said, “Apart from acclimatisation, we are working to provide an aesthetic appeal for visitors. At present, 50 per cent of the area has been planted. We will add 25 to 30 more species in 15 days. We want 75 per cent of the area to be covered with marshy plants before we open it up to people. Misting system will also be installed for trees, lichens, orchids and mosses to create a humid environment. The Kalyani (tank or pond) is meant for rain water collection during monsoon and the drip irrigation, that is, sprinklers is meant for day-to-day watering.”