Hyderabad: One of the first nurseries to be set up in the city, Ameerpet Central Nursery over the years has been playing a key role in spreading the green cover by arranging over 1 lakh saplings for plantations and distribution to public and government.
The nursery, which has as many as 80 species and is maintained by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), is located inside Government Mental Health Centre in Erragadda. Sprawling in over 4 acres, the nursery already has one lakh saplings that are ready for plantation.
According to officials of Urban Forestry wing of HMDA, the saplings here are distributed for for lining up greenery along the city roads and streets, at the ORR and major thoroughfares, and also given for institutional plantation. The smaller saplings are distributed to public at free of cost, officials said.
K Venkatesh, incharge at Ameerpet Central Nursery said the nursery is being maintained well and helping in enhancing green cover in the city. “The demand for saplings will be more during Telangana Ku Haritha Haram programme,” he said.
Started in the year 1986, the nursery has been instrumental in raising and dispatching various plant species all over the city – from campuses to highways. In the past, the nursery was much more spacious and spread over nine acres. However, around four to five acres of land has ended up in legal disputes.
Forest species and those meant for ornamental and avenue plantation are grown here and the available plants range from few inch saplings to several feet high. There were days, when the saplings and plants arrayed at this nursery counted more than 4 lakh.
The different types of saplings here include fruit plants, garden plants, shade giving plants and flower plants. “We have nearly 80 varieties of big plants and medium plants, which can be bought at a reasonable cost,” he said.
According to Venkatesh, one lakh saplings would soon be available and the nursery is ready to prepare any number of saplings. The nursery would make the required number of plants available for next Haritha Haram during the monsoon, he added.
For years, HMDA has been engaged in efforts to increase the green cover here by supplying various types of saplings with multiple-urban uses like ornamental plants, shade bearing plants, fruit bearing plants and others.
Rare species
The collection of rare species of plants here includes Sita Ashoka (Saraca indica), Maredu and Raavi. Among all, Saraca india, commonly known as Ashoka, stand as a special one and considered sacred throughout the country.
“It is not easy to grow saplings particularly rare species. We need to start with quality soil. Sow seeds in sterile, seed-starting mix and plant at the proper depth. We should water wisely and keep soil warm and also give seedlings enough light,” said an official.
Tellapur, biggest nursery
The HMDA maintains a total of 32 nurseries and the biggest among them is the Tellapur nursery which is spread across 40 acres. Tellapur nursery is the major supplier of saplings for Haritha Haaram programme.
The saplings and plants grown and nurtured here are more than 70 lakh making it a rare collection. Even as some get dispatched for plantation to different locations, more are raised on a continuous basis and it is a round-the-year exercise for the nursery staff.
The species in this nursery include Areca palms, Tellavajram (Alternantheri Ficus), Benghalensis (Marri), Ficus Religiosa (Raavi), Sterculia Foetida (China Badam), Terminalia Bellerica (Thani) and Madhuca Indica (Ippa).
