‘Tree park’ project gets a new lease of life; to come up in NGEF premises

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: An attractive and world-class tree park will be developed at the NGEF premises at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crores by retaining the existing greenery intact, said Medium and Large Scale Industries Minister MB Patil.

Speaking after watching a presentation on the development of the proposed tree park while he chaired the preliminary meeting convened here on Tuesday, he said a final decision would be taken soon after discussing it with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Of the total 105 acres of land, 70 acres are covered by thick vegetation where various species of trees exist.

Apart from this, of the 5 industrial sheds which exist, one is in a dilapidated condition. The four industrial sheds which are in good condition would also be retained without making any changes, he explained. The tree park would be developed in two phases. In phase 1A, works worth Rs 11 crores will be taken up and in phase 1B, works worth Rs 15 crores are being planned, he explained.

Subsequently, works in Phase 2 will be taken up after the completion of Phase 1A and Phase 1B The minister said Phase 1A comprises work on an entrance gate, entrance plaza, a sculpture court, toilet block, walkway (1400 mts), food court, waterfront, and elevated walkway (0.45 km). In phase 1B, an elevated walkway, child play area, outdoor gym, pet area, food court, waterfront, watch tower, and a toilet block will be developed.

Later, phase 2 will see the construction of an innovation hub, cultural hub, nursery, sports hub, food court, and multipurpose theatre. The development would also include setting up of a ready-made workspace along with a Wi-Fi facility. The Tree Park would be developed to depict the heritage and culture of Karnataka. Besides, this would also depict the growth of NGEF.

''In all, our focus is on developing it as an attractive tourist destination by retaining the existing greenery. The eastern part of the city has been witnessing rapid growth in recent years. There is a need to protect the lung space for the people of that part," Patil added.