Greening, but at what cost?

Cartoons, bamboos, desk palms, table trench palms, yellow palms, sayagrass palms, golden cypress, shefleera and ficus you find them all decorating the three floors of Sasthra Bhavan, which houses the apex body of science and technology in the State. Some green and happy, some thirsty and tired, some brown and nearly dead. But what astounds you is the cost of maintaining these plants- a whopping Rs.6,200 as rent per month translating to approximately Rs.75,000 per year, all of which goes to a private garden. This flow of money to a private nursery has been happening over the years and the contract was extended for another six months on April 4. Sources at Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) and kickbacks in the deal, but any ordinary citizen is left thinking about the money that he pays as tax to the Government. Thinking a little more scientifically one would wonder- Is the Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI) at logger heads with its parent organization, the KSCSTE? Why else should KSCSTE, which approaches TBGRI for the conduct of every event, including the prestigious Keerala Science Congress, reject the institute when it comes to greening their premises? Check out the website www.tbgri.in " TBGRI is the conserver of the largest number of plant species among the Botanic Gardens in Asia", says the scroll. This gigantic garden also has a huge number of high quality plants on sale. Yet, the KSCSTE has decided to get plants from private gardens on rent. A quick enquiry at TBGRI would reveal that it can provide the same plants, or even much better ones, for a fee that is why down what is quoted by the private nursery at Pattom. The plants up for sale at TBGRI include foliage ornamentals, wild fruits, cacti and succulents, palms, ferns, bamboos, verities of anthuriums and so on. " The cost per plant varies from Rs. 5 to Rs.30", says the TBGRI website. Even if the KSCSTE is to buy the plants and the pots and the drains pots, the initial investment will not come anywhere near the total amount spent on greening the Sasthra Bhavan per month. If the Council were to buy the plants from TBGRI, it would have been a help to the cash strapped institute. The rent per potted plant per day is Rs.4, almost the same as buying a plant from TBGRI.  "As far as KSCSTE is concerned, the TBGRI would not take a single paisa from the Council for the plants", confirmed the sources both   at TBGRI and KSCSTE.  But  then why is KSCSTE ignoring TBGRI or the various botanical gardens in associated colleges, in matters that are green?

 The New Indian Express, 30th April 2009