SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday inaugurated Srinagar’s first ‘Waste to Wonder–Flower Garden’ at Floriculture Park, Polo View, showcasing how discarded materials can be creatively reused to create attractive public spaces.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated a Floriculture Mela at the park, where flower growers, nursery owners and entrepreneurs from across Kashmir showcased ornamental plants, herbal plants, pots, terrariums, floral décor, cut flowers, gifts, machinery and other floriculture-related products.
Interacting with exhibitors, Omar appreciated their innovative business models and encouraged them to expand their activities and explore new commercial opportunities in the floriculture sector.
Later, the Chief Minister toured the Waste to Wonder Garden, which features installations made from discarded and refurbished materials, including a vintage Ambassador car, Kashmiri tonga, floral boat, scooter, heritage jeep, tractor, old tyres and other reclaimed items.
Calling the initiative an effort to promote reuse and recycling, Omar said the garden demonstrated that discarded objects could be given a new lease of life through creativity and imagination.
“This is an effort by the Department of Floriculture to show people that almost anything can be reused if you have the thought and imagination to do so,” he said.
He said the garden carries an important message at a time when solid and plastic waste management has emerged as a major challenge.
“Before throwing anything away, we should stop and think whether it can be reused or recycled,” Omar said, while stressing that people should make efforts to reuse or recycle waste wherever possible.
He also urged people to adopt simple measures to reduce plastic waste, including carrying reusable bags while shopping instead of taking new plastic bags from shops.
“That is the message behind this garden, and I hope people will come here, enjoy it and also take this message back with them,” he said.
The garden has been developed on the principles of **Reduce, Recycle and Reuse (RRR)**, with nearly 90 per cent of the materials used in its construction sourced through recycling and refurbishment.
Designed as an all-season attraction, the garden has been planned to maintain continuous blooms from spring through late autumn through carefully selected plants and staggered flowering schedules.
Omar also discussed further development of the Chrysanthemum Garden, saying lessons from its first season could help improve the attraction in its second season.
Drawing a parallel with Srinagar’s Tulip Garden, he said the facility had also started on a smaller scale before being expanded with additional features over the years.
“We will continue to add to and improve the Chrysanthemum Garden,” he said.
The Chief Minister further suggested that the Floriculture Department visit Chandigarh to study similar Waste to Wonder initiatives and explore possibilities of developing the concept further in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said such an initiative, if developed on a larger scale, could emerge as an additional tourism attraction.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Bani Dr Rameshwar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Culture Brij Mohan Sharma, Commissioner Secretary Floriculture, Gardens & Parks Zubair Ahmad, Director Floriculture, Gardens & Parks Kashmir Mathora Masoom and other officials were present on the occasion.
