Work on Biodiversity Park to start soon

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 14

Work on Biodiversity Park is set to start soon as its design has been finalised and tender for the work will be floated soon. It will come up along the Sirhind canal at Joganand at a cost of Rs 80 lakh.

It is learnt that the PWD has held a meeting with the Forest Department and has finalised the design and now tender allotment will be done shortly. It is the pet project of Finance Minister Manpreet Badal. He has assured of funding for the project and it will come up on Forest Department land.

In the first phase, rain shelter, gazebo, footpath and parking would come up. This work would be taken up by the Public Works Department (PWD).

The work of plantation, landscaping, nature trail, birds and mammal species would be taken up by the Forest Department.

In the second phase of the project, the department will focus on offering value-based facilities and attractions to visitors.

The department would set up swings for children and would make walking trails inside the park, making it easy for visitors to negotiate their way through forest and explore the various facets of it.

It is learnt that different zones would be built inside the park. A butterfly zone would come up in which only those plants would be planted on which butterflies fly around and perch. An open gym would also be set up.

As per the plan, an orchid zone would also come up in which creepers would be planted. Proposed to spread over an area of 3 km, the park would house many new species birds and mammals. The department would also have decorative and exotic plants inside the park, besides several indigenous varieties of plants which are not commonly found in the Malwa region.