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Himachal blooms ahead of Games Big Bouquet New Delhi, July 2 October not being a flowering season in most parts of India, the onus of filling supply gaps in the fresh flower market has fallen upon Himachal and its hill cousin Uttrakhand. But as the big brother, the former has a much larger role to play. State Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal told The Tribune that flower orders worth Rs 30 crore had already been received for the Games. This accounts for 81 per cent of the total greening budget the Centre has made available to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) so far. These orders are in addition to business of Rs 42 crore the state will do by way of additional flower production with an eye on the sporting
event. The cumulative business of Rs 72 crore from flowers is the highest for the state in about two decades. Last year, it fetched Rs 27 crore from its blooms and the year before Rs 22 crore. Back in the capital, CPWD — charged with the work of greening major venues — admitted their flower dependence on Himachal. They have estimated a requirement of 1.53
lakh flower pots at the five big stadia. Even more heartening is the fact that 52 acre lawn area in and around sporting spaces is being “greened” for the Games. To cover such a huge space, the CPWD would need 2.33 lakh foliage pots, 1.62 lakh ground covers, 1.41 lakh shrubs and 13, 200 indigenous varieties of trees like neem, papal, jamun and imli. For pots and additionally for ambience décor, flower contractors have been assigned the task of procurement and supply. “October is not a flowering season. We are sourcing most of our requirements from outside,” Satbir Singh of Horticulture Department, CPWD told TNS. As for Himachal, it has already put 681 hectares under flower cultivation — both open and protected areas. About 11.75 crore flower spikes are currently in production and an equal number would be produced with Rs 30 crore additional orders. “This will bring us big business considering 500 square metres under flowers fetches the growers anything up to Rs 2 lakh,” Gurdev Singh, Director, Horticulture, Himachal Pradesh
told the Tribune.
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