GUWAHATI: To boost green infrastructure of Guwahati, a newly developed Botanical Garden in the Fancy Bazar area will be inaugurated on Sunday, informed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday.
This lush green sanctuary, situated on the Old Jail premises near the Brahmaputra River, promises to be a haven for nature enthusiasts.
The Chief Minister, sharing a captivating video of the garden on Saturday, expressed his enthusiasm on a popular micro-blogging website, stating, “Tomorrow afternoon, I will be dedicating this beautiful botanical garden, on the Old Jail premises, to the people of Guwahati. We are on a mission to make our cities greener and cleaner.”
This will be Guwahati’s second botanical garden, following the Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden. While the grand inauguration is set to be helmed by Chief Minister Sarma, Urban affairs minister Ashok Singhal took to the same micro-blogging website and wrote, stating, “Built in the Old Jail Campus of Fancy Bazar, Guwahati, the Botanical Garden will greatly enhance our city’s green cover, and augment the mesmerising beauty of Guwahati.”
Earlier in August 2021, Chief Minister Sarma had laid the foundation stone for the botanical garden, backed by an investment of Rs 38.51 crore.
Designed to serve as a refreshing lung space amidst the urban landscape, the garden is structured to provide residents with open areas to inhale fresh air, right in the city’s heart.
“The garden will not only beautify the surroundings but also introduce recreational spaces for morning and evening strolls, winding pathways, serene lotus ponds, and additional facilities like eateries,” a statement from the Chief Minister’s office had highlighted.
Although the construction, which began on January 19 last year, was initially slated to welcome visitors by August 15, there was a minor delay in achieving this timeline. Spanning approximately 30 bighas, the garden houses two serene ponds carved out in 12 bighas of the old jail premises.
