Raj Bhavan to celebrate Onam with homegrown harvest under Governor Arlekar's green initiative
The initiative is part of Arlekar's vision to transform the Raj Bhavan into a productive institution. Agricultural activities have already begun on the nearly 50 acres of land surrounding the estate and a supervisor from the agriculture department has been appointed to oversee them. At present, gardening staff have been deployed to prepare the land for cultivation.
'Vegetables such as snake gourd, spinach, drumstick, pumpkin, cucumber and long beans have already been planted. If the rains are favourable, the kits for Onasadya will be ready on time,' said a Raj Bhavan official.
Around 150 banana saplings, of varieties such as poovan, kannan, and rasakadali among others, have been sourced. Other crops under cultivation include sweet potato and tapioca. Earlier, the Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Palode, had helped set up a herbal garden at Raj Bhavan with over 200 medicinal plants. However, many of the plants perished due to lack of proper care. Recently, Arlekar summoned the TBGRI director and instructed the restoration of the herbal garden.
'TBGRI has agreed not only to plant new medicinal herbs but also to train the staff in maintaining them. They have also agreed to support the development of a small bamboo garden,' the official said.
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