OOTY: It is a sea of flowers and their colours add fragrance and charm to the Government Botanical Garden (GBG), as Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami inaugurated the five-day annual 'Flower Show', 122 nd edition this summer, at the GBG on Friday morning.
The rich bloom of flowers in five lakh plants belonging to 178 varieties, including daliah, inca, pancy, French marigold, alstromaria, verbena, daisy and salvia, were spread in various flower beds across the sprawling GBG.
Further, the display of flowers in 40,000 flower pots and the flower art and sculptures are adding elegance and magnificence to the show this year, reflecting the Horticulture department's painstaking efforts to make it a grand show.
The flower replica of the Mettur dam, made out of one lakh carnation flowers measuring 60-ft long and 20-ft high, is the pick of the flower sculptures specially erected for the show.
This apart, the flower model of a Barbie doll made out of 3,000 orchid flowers and a special selfie spot carved out of colourful carnation flowers and a Micky mouse art, make the display wonderful.
Flower replica of Barbie doll at the flower show at Ooty in Friday. (Photo:DC)
Inaugurating the show, Mr Palaniswami said that nature is bountiful in Nilgiris and the GBG with full bloom of flowers simply allures and greets, helping visitors and tourists to enjoy the wonders of nature to keep their mind in all joy and cheers.
Referring to schemes implemented in Nilgiris during the AIADMK regime, he said Rs 20 lakh has now been sanctioned for strawberry production through tissue culture technology in Nilgiris. Stating that Rs 10 crore has been allotted for modernization schemes in GBG and Government Rose Garden in Ooty and also in Sim's Park in Coonoor, he said that steps will be taken to maintain 28 important roads in Ooty municipal limits.
He further added that the proposal to construct new bridge over Moyar river along Masinagudi-Kakkanallah area will be considered. The old drinking water pipe lines in Coonoor and Gudalur municipal limits will be replaced with new ones.
Later, while talking to media persons, he said how the AIADMK regime from MGR era fought for the rights on Cauvery river water and exuded confidence that when the Apex court pronounces its final verdict on Cauvery row, justice will be done to Tamil Nadu.
On tea subsidy to small tea growers, he said that as of now it will be provided to those small growers who supply green tea leaf to cooperative tea factories in Nilgiris. S.P. Velumani, Municipal administration minister and R. Duraikannu, Agriculture minister, also spoke on the occasion.
