Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday laid foundation stone for city’s first Oxygen Park at Ranchi, conceived to provide fresh air to joggers and health conscious citizens. The park will be constructed in Morhabadi and is likely to be ready for public by the end of current financial year.

Underscoring the need for the park Soren said, “In today’s materialistic world we are moving towards devastation with every step taken towards development. World is facing consequences of its deeds and the coming generation will face what we will do. Hence environmental concerns are our basic requirement”.

The park will be spread in about 11 acres of land and will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 6-crores of which Rs 45-lakh has been sanctioned by the CM. About 70 per cent of the proposed site will be dedicated to trees, around 20 per cent to the flowering trees and remaining 10 per cent to flowering plants. On the occasion senior officials of State Government planted a tree to express their commitment to environment protection.

“We all have to save environment by following the foot prints of our forefathers. For that we need to awaken ourselves and take a pledge to plant one tree and also to nurture it. This way we can save environment,” maintained Soren.

However, the concept of Oxygen Park in the State known for vast forest-land made CM question the necessity of the place apparently to make people aware of the damage done to the environment in the State and offer food for thought intended to kickstart pro-environment activities.

“It is unfortunate that there is a need to setup Oxygen Park. This should not be required in a State which is closely associated with jal, jangal and jameen. We have to compensate for tampering with environment,” continued the CM.

The CM also inaugurated Forest Information Management System on the day which incidentally was the occasion to celebrate 65th Van Mahotsav. The event was attended by Principal Secretary Forest & Environment and other senior State Government officers.