The campus of the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and Government Ophthalmic Hospital, Egmore, will turn greener in a few months. The Public Works Department (PWD) has planted 500 new saplings in the premises, apart from transplanting nearly 36 trees as per a Madras High Court directive in December last year.
The trees were removed to facilitate the construction of a bi-centenary building at a cost of ₹65.60 crore, to mark 200th year of the hospital. Some of the native trees transplanted including Pungai, Kondrai and Vagai, have started blooming over the past two months.
Officials of the PWD said that besides transplanting these trees, 500 saplings of native species were planted and are being maintained in both the old and new campuses of the hospital.
Some of the saplings planted to mark World Soil Day were neem, tamarind, gulmohar, mahogany, poovarasam and magizham. “The greenery is being enhanced around the campus to maintain ecological balance,” said an official.
On the new building, the official said about 20% of the work to construct the bi-centenary building has been completed so far. The six-storey building is coming up in an area of 2,45,091 square feet. The building would have facilities such as an out-patient clinic, including squint and neuropathy speciality OPs and a retina OP; pre and post-operative wards, operation theatre complex, conference room and central sterile services department, the official said.
It may be recalled that foundation stone for the new structure was laid in November last year. The project is expected to be completed by June next year.