Mysuru:  Salumarada Thimmakka Park at Malalavadikere in Jayanagar was inaugurated by District In-charge Minister G.T. Devegowda and Lingambudhi Park in Ramakrishnanagar was inaugurated by MP Pratap Simha yesterday morning. The ‘Salumarada Thimmakka Park’ is located at Ward Number 15, Ramakrishnanagar G and H Block.

Both the parks maintained by the Forest Department have good walking path, playing equipment for kids, plenty of greenery with fruit-yielding plants, relaxing benches, drinking water facility and toilets.

G.T. Devegowda lauded the effort of Thimmakka in afforestation. On the occasion, he felicitated about 20 employees of the Forest Department.

Salumarada Thimmakka is noted for planting and tending to 384 banyan trees on a 4-kilometre stretch of National Highway between Hulikal and Kudur. A US environmental organisation, based in Los Angeles and Oakland, California, called ‘Thimmakka’s Resources for Environmental Education,’ is named after her. Thimmakka has planted thousands of trees and nurtured them for future generations and because of her selfless sacrifice, many of us are breathing some pure air.

Spread across 87.54 hectares, the Salumarada Thimmakka Park was developed at a cost of Rs. 1.74 crore by the Forest Department, of which the Central government provided Rs. 1.39 crore, and the remaining was funded by the State government.

Over 50 Ashoka trees have been planted around the park and there are 40 Parijaata plants (Indian Coral Jasmine, a truly Indian origin tree in which the flowers are nocturnal). Different types of greens  including honagone soppu are also grown here.

In keeping with modern lung spaces, the Park has been provided with benches, walking paths, lavatories and an open-air gym in order to attract people cutting across ages. In what is likely to delight environmentalists, the Forest Department has planted a whopping 422 varieties of fruit-bearing plants, and 25 rare saplings such as Rudrakshi and ebony.

The Forest Department is now working on transforming a 33 acre-plot near Malalawadi Lake with funds provided by the State government. The Park, for which the government has allocated Rs. 61 lakh, will be developed along the lines of Saalumarada Thimmakka Park.

A lady at the function complained to Minister G.T. Devegowda that the toilet at Lingambudhi Park was stinking with no water. Devegowda instructed the officials concerned to ensure continuous water supply to   the toilet.

MLA S.A. Ramdas, Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) Member-Secretary B.P. Ravi, DCFs Dr. K.T. Hanumanthappa and Siddramappa Chalkapure, Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath, CCF Venkatesan, MCC Commissioner K.H. Jagadeesha, Corporators M.S. Shobha, Sharathkumar and others were present.

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