Uttarakhand develops biodiversity garden with 24 tree species

Dehradun, June 26

The Uttarakhand Forest Department has developed a park over a one-acre land in Haldwani, showcasing different tree species from across the country.

The garden, 'Bharat Vatika', was inaugurated by two schoolgirls on Saturday, Chief Conservator of Forest (research) Sanjeev Chaururvedi said.

It has 24 species of trees from 28 states and five Union Territories, including trees from more than one state like mango, bargad, peepal, coconut and sal, Chaururvedi said.

"It is a unique endeavour as this is the first such area in the country to put on display trees of different states of India at one place,” he added.

Apart from Peepal, Sita-Ashok and Bargad that is the national tree of India, it also showcases Naag-Kesar or iron wood (Mizoram), Chinar (Kashmir), Chandan (Karnataka), highly aromatic Agarwood tree (Tripura), breadroot (Lakshadweep), Alestonia (West Bengal) and famous Puddock tree (Andaman and Nicobar).

It also has Devadar tree from Himachal Pradesh; Rhododendron species from Uttarakhand and Sikkim; white teak from Meghalaya; and Neem from Andhra Pradesh, Chaturvedi said. PTI