KDA board decides to convert Botanical Garden into Bio Diversity Park

Done/ALVI
With pic
Times News Network
Kanpur: In compliance with the directives of National Green Tribunal (NGT), Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) board has agreed in principle to convert its dream project botanical garden into Bio-Diversity Park.
NGT has recently asked all the districts situated at the Ganga basin to set up 50-acre bio- diversity park to protect and enrich the biodiversity of the Ganga basin.
A proposal to this effect was placed at the KDA board meeting held on Friday last in which it was decided to take necessary steps to convert the Botanical Garden into Biodiversity Park so that comply with the NGT directives, use in a better way the infrastructure for protection, and conservation of the Ganga basin ecosystem and also to create awareness among the public to protest Ganga from pollution.
Faiyaz Khudsar of Delhi University, who is the nodal officer of the project, during his two-day visit to the city on August 2 on KDA’s request said the DU has a special programme of conservation of biodiversity parks and it is doing many projects across India for NGT & on the directives of courts.
He said the site is very good for setting up the biodiversity park, and proposed to take up the project in 3 phases: Phase 1: De-silting of the water body and Ganga entry point in the area, Phase 2: Massive plantation in the area as per the local Ganga basin ecological system and Phase 3: Supportive infrastructure like toilets , parking area, Ganga gallery, Ganga walkway, Ganga exhibition centre etc.
The divisional commissioner too visited the site along with Faiyaz and discussed the issues.
The initial report likely to be submitted in the next 15 days will be discussed and taken up accordingly in the next meeting of the KDA board for modalities, said divisional commissioner Raj Shekhar.
The KDA board at its meeting held on Saturday last decided to change the face and pictures of buildings of three main roads of the city. The face lift will be on the lines of Varanasi and the changed face would display the history and culture of the country. The board accepted the proposal in the meeting.
The board members accepted the state government’s order to bring uniformity in the city under which in the first phase, three main roads of the city would be identified and buildings of those roads would be changed externally, the commissioner said.
A committee with members from PWD, KDA and KMC would identify three main roads and submit its report within one month. Thereafter the consultant after selecting the theme would display the same on the front face of the buildings, the commissioner added.