*Inaugurates Aerator cum Dancing Fountains in Dal Lake
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 19: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha attended the opening ceremony of Asia’s largest Tulip Garden here.
The Lt Governor invited people from all over the world to visit J&K and discover the mesmerising beauty of 16 lakh tulip flowers and enjoy the warm hospitality of the people of Jammu Kashmir.
He acknowledged the efforts of hundreds of gardeners and workers engaged in the Tulip garden.
Last year, an unprecedented 3.60 lakh tourists visited the Tulip Garden, and I believe the number will further increase this year, he noted.
The Lt Governor directed the Vice Chancellor of SKUAST Kashmir to make arrangement for growing Tulip’s planting material in J&K instead of relying on imports. The effort will ensure that J&K is able to tap the Rs 400 cr market of Tulips in the country, he said.
The Lt Governor also shared the transformational journey of Jammu Kashmir over the past three years.
Administrative Reforms, increased Industrial investments, accelerated pace of project completion, seamless access to government services, better facilities for the people of J&K, and the increased number of tourists, empowerment of youth, women and common man have laid the solid foundation for the socio-economic development of Jammu Kashmir.
“Prime Minister has always shown us the path to work for the common man and not for the select few. I want to tell those who have amassed wealth for their generations through wrongful means that the time has changed. Today, the government is working towards the welfare of the people and safeguarding the interest of the common man,” said the Lt Governor.
Government land belongs to the Government only and not to any individual. The state land retrieved from the illegal occupants will be utilized for public use, building schools, hospitals, playfields, industries and burial grounds, added the Lt Governor.
A record 1.88 crore tourists visited Jammu Kashmir last year. This year, in the first two months 3.70 lakh tourists came to J&K which benefitted lakhs of families associated with the tourism sector. Sanasar Tulip Garden with 2.75 lakh tulip bulbs of 25 varieties will also welcome the tourists coming to the region, said the Lt Governor.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor inaugurated 175 meters long extension of water channel at the 4th and 5th terrace of Tulip Garden extending the existing 300-meter water channel to 475 meters, and a high-rise fountain at 5th terrace.
The Daffodil Park in the central lawn area has also been developed and the illumination of the Garden added to the attraction of the visitors. Online ticketing facility for smooth and hassle-free ticketing is also in place to facilitate visitors and avoid any inconvenience to them.
A ramp has been created at the exit gate and path, along with a sufficient number of wheelchairs for the convenience of specially-abled and senior citizens.
Junaid Azim Mattu, Mayor SMC; Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; senior officials of Police and Civil Administration and tourists in large numbers were present.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated Aerator cum Dancing Fountains in the world famous Dal Lake.
The Aerator cum Dancing Fountains is installed in six clusters along the periphery of the Dal Lake. The project has been completed by J&K Lakes Conservation and Management Authority (LC&MA) at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore, with an aim to attract tourists. It will add beauty and grandeur to the lake.
The clusters of the aerators have pre-programmed different patterns of formations viz high jet, mist formation, trumpet formation with changing colours for providing scintillating visuals.
The cumulative length of all the five each clusters is about 500 meters. Each set of cluster is housed with two hundred nozzles on an average to build up different pattern formations, creating and adding a unique beauty to the surroundings, besides improving the quality of lake water.
The dominating and scintillating part of this project is that one of the fountains/aerators is called by the name “High Jet”, the first of its kind in the country of 79 meters long.
It has a unique characteristic of shooting up the water to an aerial vertical distance with a mist formation in the higher zone – with changing colours which will not only improve the aeration quality of the water of the lake but will add to the lake aesthetics and shall attract the public in general.
Junaid Azam Mattoo, Mayor SMC, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, other senior officers of Police and Civil Administration were present on the occasion.
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