Genetic Heritage Gardens as Pongal gift

Genetic Heritage Gardens would be established at five different locations in Tamil Nadu in January next year.

A steering committee under chairmanship of eminent agri-scientist M S Swaminathan had been formed to work out the modalitiesof the gardens, the brainchild of chief minister M Karunanidh, Dr Murugesa Bhoopathi, vice-chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, told PTI here.

Speciality of these five landscapes would be the presence of plant species as mentioned in Tamil Sangam literature and the names of these gardens have also been selected, Bhoopathi said.

Landscapes, each in an area of 25 acres are 'Kurinji' (mountanous region) in  Kolli hills in Namakkal district, 'Mullai' (forest and foothills) of Sirumalai in Dindigul District, 'Marudham' (pastoral land, plains, valleys and cultivated land) in Sakkotai in Thanjavur district, 'Neidhal' (seashore, coastal region) in Tirukadayur in Nagapattinam district and 'Palai' (wasteland and desert) in Pattinamkathar in Ramanathapuram district, he said.

The university would collect species as required for the eco-system and as per Sangam age and segregate them as seeds, sapling and grown trees (by uprooting and replanting) and 30 to 40 species would be planted in each landscape, he said.

The species, such as shrub, herb, flowers and fruit, would be collected also with the help of Forest Department and a list of species thus collected, with the landscaping details would be sent for the approval of Chief Minister.

The work of planting the saplings is likely to begin in the first week of September, so that the gardens are ready as pongal gifts to the people, Bhoopathi said.

The government wanted these gardens as knowledge and information centres, as the people should know the entire history of the species, its utility and also availability, Bhoopathi said.

Other aspects of the Sangam age would be discussed with the scholars and experts, before finalising the plan for landscape, he said.

When asked about putting animals, lived in that age, which were also part of the system, he said, since there were no details of the animals, whether living or extinct, models would be created and placed at vantage points among the plants, to provide a natural look.

Living animals could be kept in the gardens, by restricting the movements in specified areas, to get the feeling of the age, he said.

Species like Vengai (Pterocarpus mrsupium) Jack, Bamboo, Avarai (lablab) Sandal, Lotus, Mango should be in Kurinji, Thulasi, Areca, Pepper, Cardmom should be in Mullai, while Mango, Sorgum, betle, Pupal, Arugu (Cynodon) in Marudham, Coconut, Mango, Thazhampoo (Pandanus) Kalli (Opuntia Dilleni) in Neidhal and species like Neem, Sesame, Tamarind Aloe Vera should be in the desert system of Palai, he said.