Rs 8.80 cr to be spent on facelift of Rose Garden

Roses will finally bloom again at Nehru Rose Garden as Rs 8.80 crore will be spent for its uplift. The Municipal Corporation (MC) has already floated tenders for the same and the contractor will be responsible for the upkeep of the garden for a year.

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The proposals are to plant 90 types of flowers and fruit-bearing trees and do landscaping of the garden from scratch. Besides, an open gym will also be set up and a kids play area will also be created. There is also a plan to set up a mini zoo at the garden.

In the past, Nehru Rose Garden was a popular destination among people for picnic. It used to witness a high footfall and the rush increased on weekends.

For children, apart from swings, the boating club and mini zoo were the main attractions. However, both were closed in 1990s as the MC faced problems in maintaining the lake while the mini zoo was shut after an order from the Central Zoo Authority in 2001 to ensure ethical treatment of wildlife in captivity.

After the mini zoo was closed and animals were shifted, a few rabbits and ducks were left in the garden but some of them fell prey to stray dogs, which led to the shifting of the remaining creatures.

Recalling those days, Amrinder Singh said as children, Rose Garden was the place they used to visit often during holidays.

“There was much excitement to go on a picnic and we used to spend our entire Sunday there. Sometime ago, I took my children there but the condition of the garden was not really good. If the MC is deciding to redevelop it, it is a welcome step. Children need open spaces to play and enjoy. Hopefully, it will be maintained,” he said.

Another city resident, Kirpal Kaur, said Rose Garden and Rakh Bagh were two places which children loved to visit. “Today everyone is sticked to their gadgets. More parks and gardens should be developed so that children spent their time outside. Revamping Rose Garden is a great idea,” she said.

Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Gogi said he had even proposed to set up a mini zoo in Rose Garden and the MC would apply to get permission from the Wildlife Department.

Gogi said they were also exploring the possibility of having an exclusive children’s section or butterfly park inside the garden and hoping to bring back good old days of the garden.