Lok Sabha Question No. 2028 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-30
Subject: Plantations in Botanical Garden
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Prasun Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2028

TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2021

## Plantations in Botanical Garden

## 2028. SHRI PRASUN BANERJEE:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  steps  for  new  plantations  in  AJC  Bose Botanical Garden Howrah and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the total number of trees damaged during last two cyclones like Amphan and Yaas in AJC Bose Botanical Garden Shibpur; and
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  to  revive  the  old  position  of  AJC  Bose Botanical Garden Shibpur and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)      As  per  the  information  received  from  Botanical  Survey  of  India  (BSI),  a  subordinate  organization  under  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change, plantation  programme  in  Acharya  Jagadish  Chandra  Bose  Indian  Botanic  Garden (AJCBIBG), Shibpur is done onregular basis from time to time which include (a) Plant introduction of indigenous saplingscollected from different parts of country, (b) replacement  of  dead  or  fallen  trees,  (c)development  of  woodlands  along  the  river Hooghly etc. About 2000 mangrove saplingsrepresenting 9 species were planted along the 1.8 km long river bank of the garden during2019-20 and about 1000 saplings were planted during 2020-21.

More  than  40  taxa  from  themembers  of  family  Zingiberaceae  were  introduced towards the development of Zingiberaceae Section; about 20 species of Musa including Musa acuminate Colla, Musa bulbisiana Colla, Musa indandamanensis L. J. Singh from Andaman & Nicobar were introduced in the Musa(Banana) section. Similarly, a Cycad section  has  also  developed  beside  Kyd  monument,aromatic  and  medicinal  plants  and many threatened, endemic and economically importantplant species including -Bentinckianicobarica  (Kurz)  Becc.,Kingiodendronpinnatum  (DC.)Harms,  -  Santalum album L., Swieteniamacrophylla King, Chloroxylonswietenia DC., etc.were introduced in different sections.

Plantation programmes were also organized duringvarious occasions like VanMahotsava and World Environment Day etc. and species likeRoystonearegia (Kunth) O.F.Cook (Royal Palm),ShorearobustaGaertn. (Saal), BrowneacoccineaJacq. (Mountain

Rose), Nypafruticans Wurmb (Mangrove Palm), Borassusflabellifer L. (Palmyra Palm), etc. were planted enmasse.

(b)  During  the  cyclone  Amphan  around  1432  plants  of  different  age  groups  were damaged, however, not a single plant was damaged during the cyclone Yaas.

(c  )BSI  has  taken  up  variousprogrammes  for  the  maintenance  and  upgradation  of  the AJC  Bose  Indian  Botanic  Garden.    Plantation  programmes  are  being  undertaken  in regular  manner  focusing  on  the  plants  fallingunder  EET  (Endemic,  Endangered  and Threatened) categories in respective divisions and plantation is done for gap filling by mass  cleaning  of  unwanted  weeds  in  different  sectionsand  divisions.More  than  3000 Mangrove plants and its associates were planted in the long stretch of theriver front area of the garden in order to develop a green belt and check erosion of soil aswell.Revival of old sections such as Bougainvillea, Canna, Succulents etc. along with thebeautification of vantage points are also being taken up on top priority.

Keeping the interest  of  visitors,  a  Rosarium  in  memory  of  the  great  Botanist,  E.K. Janaki Ammal has been developed in an area of26000 sq. ft. in which 3000 rose plants of more than 300 cultivars of 16 different colourcombinations have been planted.

A number of initiativeshave been taken for the ex-situ conservation as well as germ plasm collection which include the recently developed sections of Musasand Zingers. A GIS phyto-mapping android-based app has been developed and launched for the publicas a first hand guide of the flora, different sections, buildings, etc.

In order to enhance the beauty of the garden and making it attractive for the visitors andfor the conservation as well as the restoration of aquatic flora and fauna,a programme of cleaning of water bodies inside AJCBIBG has been taken up.

An  internship  program  has  been  undertaken  in  AJCBIBG  entitled  'Regeneration andecological  framework  plan  (REF202P)  for  AJC  Bose  Indian  Botanic  Garden, Howrah'  incollaboration with Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape architecture,Edinburgh,  College  of  Art,  University  of  Edinburgh,  UK  in  partnership Neeta Subhrajit Das Associates, India; AUDA Academy and Fun on Stress.

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