To present a picturesque view to the millions of devotees likely to converge during the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev in November this year, the Punjab Government has undertaken a massive drive for plantation of flower trees and flowers in the vicinity of the holy city of Sultanpur Lodhi.
The Horticulture Department has been entrusted with this task and its Director has been deputed as a nodal officer to oversee the overall plantation drive, said the government spokesperson.
Under this ambitious project to plant 550 trees of Gulmohar and Amaltas, nearly 300 have already been planted in and around the historic Gurdwara Sri Ber Sahib and banks of Holy Bein besides flower beds are being made on both sides of roads leading to the holy city and to ‘Pind Babe Nanak Da’.
Meanwhile, Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner DPS Kharbanda informed that 1,100 MGNREGA workers have been involved to undertake the plantation of four lakh flowering plants to be put all along Holy Bein river side facing the historic Gurdwara Sri Ber Sahib.
Apart from this, flowers of different varieties Celosia, Cristata, French Marigold Lemon, French Marigold Orange, Celosia Plumosa, Gomphrena Purple and Cosmos Bippinatus would be planted in the flower beds spread over nearly four acres around the VVIP helipad being constructed at the outskirts of village Bassowal.
It has also been decided to write 550 on the elevated soil platform with plantation of marigold flowers in commemoration of this sacred occasion. All the flowers being planted would blossom during last week of October till January.
Pertinently, an eminent floriculturist from Punjab, Avtar Singh Dhindsa along with advocate Harpreet Sandhu have conceptualised the plan in close coordination with other line departments — Horticulture, PWD and Rural Development and Panchayats to execute this gigantic task.The seedlings of all different varieties of flowers are being prepared in a nursery developed over an area of 1.5 – two lakh acres at Sultanpur Lodhi.
Notably, on the directives of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the Government has already initiated a massive drive to plant 550 saplings in each village across the State in commemoration of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.The Forests Department has been tasked with undertaking this massive plantation campaign in a organised and a time bound manner.