Akurdi garden to add sports facilities, native trees

Pimpri Chinchwad: The civic body will develop the first garden under the Centre's Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) scheme in Akurdi, having sports facilities and 400 native trees.
Shirish Poredi, spokesperson for the engineering department, said, "This garden is being developed on an L-shaped, two acre plot behind Jai Ganesh Vision in Akurdi.The Amrut guidelines state that at least one park with sufficient green space must be developed every year."
It will have sports facilities along with a lawn and children's play area. At least 43% of the area will be used for landscaping, 23% for sports facilities, 22% for the pathways, parking and entrance while the rest will be for jogging tracks.
There will be a seating area for senior citizens, watchmen's quarters, streetlights, water tank and other facilities in the garden. A gymnasium, basketball and volleyball courts and grounds for kabaddi, kho kho and mallakhamb have also been planned. The jogging track will be developed on the periphery of the garden. Indigenous species of trees are being planted, he said.
A team from the social forestry department visited the site in April and suggested planting white and purple kanchan, pangara, Sita Ashok, kumbhi, kalakuda, pandharakuj, anjani, banyan, peepal, ajan, putrajiva, jamun, arjun, ain, moha, parijatak, kavatha, bel, karanja, avala, behada, hirda and others along the jogging track.
They have also suggested planting neem, ragat rohida, tembhas, bhokar, kahandol, kinai, vilayati chinch, apta, hanumanphal, shivan, shami, bamboo, pimparan, ritha, kadamb, kalamb, savar, sal and others inside the garden premises at various places.
This plot was unused for several years and had turned into a garbage dump which the civic body cleared and levelled the ground. "The Rs 1 crore garden project is in final stages of approval. We will invite bids to select a contractor to implement the project which will be completed in one year," Poredi said.
Garden superintendent Suresh Salunke said the social forestry department has suggested that 400 trees be planted in the garden. Local corporator Pratibha Bhalerao said the compound wall is being built .