Indian Express 08.12.2009
City to get tissue-culture lab for more green cover
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is planning to set up its first tissue culture laboratory to grow plants scientifically. According to the BMC’s tree census of 2008, while there are a total of 19, 17, 844 trees in the city 33, 202 trees of these are dead. Also, there is scope in terms of availability of space to plant an additional 2, 60, 466 trees.
“To quickly make trees available to fill up these spaces, we have identified an area close to Priyadarshini building junction in Chunabhatti where the lab will be set up within the next eight months, at a cost of Rs 5 crore,” deputy municipal commissioner Chandrashekhar Rokde said. Tissue culture is the method used to quickly produce mature plants under sterile conditions in the absence of seeds.
The lab will be air-conditioned where indoor plants as well small sized outdoor trees like Bogunvilla will be grown and bred. Recently, the BMC announced that it would buy 100 full grown trees from nurseries in Rajmundry in Andhra Pradesh and replant in the city to make it greener within a short span. In 2008, BMC had transplanted 41 full grown trees near Shivaji Park out of which four trees have already died.
“Buying trees from other states and transporting them all the way is an expensive process and their survival rate is also low. Once we have this lab, the process will become more economical as we will be able to grow at least small sized trees in Mumbai itself,” Rokde added.
The BMC wants to set up factories of trees where the plants, shrubs and small trees produced in the lab will be kept for further growth and sale to public. The trees will then be planted along play grounds, and other open spaces.
