Foolhardy move to set up food court in Lalbagh

Gastro delights to vie with Lalbagh blooms

A food court spread over three acres has been planned in the garden. Strict hygiene and correct garbage disposal will be ensured, officials say.

Deccan Herald

The next time you visit the annual flower show in Lalbagh, you may be greeted by the aroma of food wafting from a state-of-the-art food court studded with eco-friendly restaurants.

The proposed food court, to be spread over more than three acres, will be located near Siddapura Gate and will maintain strict standards of hygiene and garbage disposal, said official sources.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Horticulture Director Mr Vasanth Kumar on Wednesday, said the food court will not have any permanent building fixtures but only cottages that can be easily dismantled so that the beauty of the botanical gardens are not marred.

“We are looking at internationally renowned quality-conscious restaurants like MTR and McDonalds to set up shop in the food court. But the project should not be confused with a food exhibition as the Horticultural department is highly choosy about the restaurants that will form the food court,” said Mr Kumar.

Garbage disposal

He added that such a venture would help in tackling the menace of garbage that piles up after the close of each public event. Incidentally, the garbage clearance process of the botanical garden is a tedious one with cleaning personnel spending days clearing litter ranging from half-eaten corn stubs to empty juice cans.

Moreover, the problem of illegal vendors swarming Lalbagh premises might also be stemmed to an extent, said Mr Kumar. Within a month or two, the horticultural department would send feelers to some of the restaurant outlets seeking their participation. “Depending on their response, we will shortlist the restaurants. This concept is based on the expression of interest strategy.

However, the restaurant owners will have to bear the cost of protecting their immediate environment,” said Mr Kumar. Asked whether the food prices will be affordable, Mr Kumar said tourists are usually in a generous mood and are unlikely to take offense to spending an extra buck to ensure a clean environment.

Continuing in the same vein, Mr Kumar said his department was also thinking of setting up locker systems at two of their gates (Double Road and Main Gate entrance), so that tourists could visit the park unencumbered and the amount of litter worming their way into the botanical garden by tourists carrying food from outside could be controlled.