(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?
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 sub-ordinate 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.
*****