In a bid to woo tourists throughout the year, the government is seriously mulling to make Tulip Garden in Srinagar as an all-season attraction, officials said on Tuesday.
If all goes as per the plan, Tulips would bloom twice a year at the Tulip Garden situated on the foothills of Zabarwan mountains, overlooking the famous Dal Lake here.“A tourist should have something to enjoy throughout the year. We plan to integrate Botanical Garden with the Tulip garden to make it an all-season attraction for tourists,” said Director Floriculture, Talat Pervez. “At present Tulip garden comprises 120 kanal land and 820 kanal more land (including that of Botanical garden) would be further integrated. There would be series of gardens—apple garden, pear garden, chestnut garden, plum, almonds, walnut, and Apricot garden on one side and Dahlia, Crocus and Daffodil garden on the other.”
He said there is also a plan in the pipeline to produce Tulip bulbs locally to ensure Tulips bloom twice a year. “We will first start with 20,000 bulbs and then raise the number gradually. We will seek help from the Sher-e-Kashmir Agricultural University of Science and Technology (SKAUST) Kashmir, and other experts if needed,” the Director Floriculture said. “We may also sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the department of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) New Delhi in this regard. We would also seek help from Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH),” he said.
And within next five years, we would able to reduce the import level of Tulip bulbs to zero, he said.
He said it would take the department two years to ensure the garden is a “full time destination.”
“But from February onwards, next year, there will be many things we would be able to offer to the tourists,” Pervez said. “The estimated cost for the two-year project is Rs 9 Crore of which Rs 4 Crore have already been released by the government for cold storage facility for post harvest management of tulips at Tulip garden.”
Minister for Floriculture and Gardens, Muhammad Altaf Bukhari said the garden comprising various fruit crop, would be major attraction for the tourists and other visitors. “They can pluck the fruit and eat it there. If any tourist wants to take the fruit home, they will have to pay for it as per the weight,” he said. “The main aim is to make the destination attractive for tourists throughout the year.”
The Minister, however, clarified that there would be no merger of two gardens— Tulip and Botanical garden.
