Amaravati going green with ornamental plants!

Amaravati: As the capital city of Amaravati takes shape, the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) is laying a strong green foundation alongside its infrastructure development. APCRDA Commissioner V Vijaya Rama Raju told The Hans India here on Tuesday that at the heart of this effort are two nurseries established to ensure a steady supply of quality plants for the new capital’s parks, roads, public institutions and other green spaces. “In fact, the Amaravati Development Corporation and CRDA are jointly making efforts to develop the nurseries,” he said.

The flagship initiative is the 20-acre Central Nursery at Uddandarayunipalem, developed as a modern, long-term institutional resource for Amaravati’s landscaping and greening needs. In addition, APCRDA has developed another two-acre nursery on the premises of the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat at Velagapudi.

Ramaraju said that the nurseries are designed to provide a continuous supply of native tree species, ornamental plants and indoor plants required for various greening and landscaping projects across the capital.

By producing plants locally, APCRDA aims to reduce dependence on external sources and create a sustainable plant resource for Amaravati, he added.

The Central Nursery has been developed with a production plan covering more than 60 native tree species. APCRDA has set an ambitious target of producing 1 lakh trees, 4 lakh ornamental shrubs and 10,000 indoor plants over the next two years. The nursery has already emerged as a significant plant resource, with around 1.15 lakh healthy plants currently available. The collection includes native tree varieties, flowering plants, roadside plantation species, ornamental plants and varieties suitable for landscaping.

These plants are expected to play an important role in both ongoing and future greening programmes in Amaravati, supporting the development of green corridors, landscaped public spaces, avenues and parks.

The initiative also incorporates renewable energy into nursery operations. Giving priority to environmental conservation, APCRDA has installed a 52.5-kilowatt solar power plant at the Central Nursery. Solar power is being used for lighting, water supply for plants and other operational requirements. Besides reducing dependence on conventional electricity, the solar facility is expected to help lower operating costs and carbon emissions. The development of these nurseries reflects an approach that combines urban development with environmental sustainability. Instead of treating greenery as an addition to infrastructure, APCRDA is creating an institutional system capable of supplying the plants required to sustain Amaravati’s green landscape over the long term. With its large-scale plant production capacity, diverse collection of species and adoption of solar energy, the Central Nursery at Uddandarayunipalem is emerging as an important green asset for Amaravati.

As development activities gather pace, these nurseries are expected to provide the botanical backbone for transforming Amaravati into a greener, more pleasant and environmentally sustainable capital city.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shyam Sundar Matham

[email protected]