To further boost the tourism allure of Asia’s largest tulip garden, the Department of Floriculture added five more tulip varieties this year besides expanding the existing garden area.

This was announced during a meeting chaired by Commissioner Secretary Floriculture Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad on Monday.

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Addressing the meeting, the commissioner secretary said it is the endeavour of the department to make the tulip garden more attractive and alluring for tourists from all over the world.

“This year, we have added five new varieties bringing the total number of tulip varieties to 73. These new varieties will give an enchanting experience to the visitors making the splendid garden extremely beautiful,” he maintained.

He added that 1.7 million tulips are set to bloom this year in the upcoming season, the groundwork of which has been completed. He said the department has also added another four kanals of land for the parking lot at the tulip garden to ensure a smooth experience for the visitors.

Sheikh Fayaz said that the Tulip Garden, recently included in the World Book of Records, is a pride for the Floriculture Department and has greatly enhanced the tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are anticipating a big increase in the arrival of tourists to the Tulip Garden this year as compared to the last year and preparations are in full swing in this regard, he added.

He took note of various civil works in the garden like face lifting, toilet points, soakage pits, lighting system, and illumination among other works, and asked the concerned officials to complete the leftover works. He asked the DFOs to ensure parks are well maintained in all the districts and all the facilities for the visitors are in place. He said that all parks should have a washroom facility for ease of the visitors.

Sheikh Fayaz directed the officers to complete all the ongoing work in the shortest possible timeframe. He asked the Director of Floriculture to personally monitor the execution of works to ensure their timely completion.

It was also revealed during the meeting that the Floriculture department has installed multi-activity children’s equipment in 7 more parks bringing the total number of parks with children’s equipment to 14.

Director of Floriculture Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad Rather, said that it is a conscious endeavour of the department to ensure that children have a fun time in the parks.

He also passed strict directions to the concerned officers to keep a close watch on the equipment in the parks to avoid any untoward incident. He said that any damaged equipment should be immediately replaced to ensure the complete safety of the children.