Bangalore: Throwing plastic waste or smoking inside the sprawling greens of Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, may soon land you in trouble. A gentle warning to start with and, afterwards, a stiff fine.

The Horticulture Department planned a "Clean Lalbagh For a Green Lalbagh" campaign to protect its ecology and, as a first step, invited environment-friendly citizens, the Friends of Lalbagh organisation, other non-governmental organisations to participate in the programme .

The Lalbagh Gardens, originally planned and planted with rare trees by Hyder Ali, now possesses trees and plants collected from different continents and carefully nurtured.

It attracts up to 15,000 visitors on weekdays and more on holidays and is a tourist attraction besides a meeting place for hundreds of fitness walkers of all ages every morning and evening. "Due to the increase in the number of visitors, the amount of plastic and other hazardous and non-biodegradable waste has caused a major disposal problem for the gardens maintenance staff," Mr. Kumar said.

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has designated Lalbagh a "plastics-free zone," but enforcement has been tardy till now. This has prompted the Horticulture Department to enforce some discipline among the visitors to the park.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail