Visitors to the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Howrah’s Shibpur will get a corner to rest their tired legs, catch a breath over a hot cup of coffee or tea and grab a quick bite.
The authorities of the centuries-old garden have decided to set up a cafeteria, nearly half a century since the last one was shut down on the banks of the Hooghly.
Spread across nearly 2,000sq ft, the cafeteria will come up at one corner of the sprawling garden close to the bamboo grove, officials said.
“Since disposable plastic and food items aren’t allowed inside the premises, there has been a clamour for a cafeteria where visitors can sit down, sip coffee or tea and even have snacks,” Devendra Singh, director of the garden, told The Telegraph.
“We have laid down specific guidelines for setting up the cafeteria, which will be run by an agency and should start functioning shortly.”
In 1977, a cafeteria — “Magnolia” — was set up near the curator’s office to offer drinking water for free and refreshment at a moderate price to visitors, officials said. It was shut down a couple of years later.
Over the decades, as the footfall at the garden continued to rise and plastic was banned along with food to prevent littering, visitors often complained about the lack of a cafeteria inside the campus, where roads span over 18km.
The botanical garden is spread across 273 acres and vehicles carrying visitors aren’t allowed inside.
Eatables are prohibited and visitors are encouraged to carry their drinking water. Many who have been to the garden have admitted it is nearly impossible to cover the entire garden on foot in a day’s trip.
The entry fee was increased from Rs 10 to Rs 30 in August and officials said that has not come in the way of visitors from across the country trooping down to the Shibpur address.
Following a growing demand for additional facilities for the ailing and the elderly to have a comfortable trip around the garden, the authorities have decided to run battery-run vehicles.
Officials said they have received complaints from senior citizens, who said they wanted to see the Great Banyan Tree, which is more than 250 years old, but cannot walk all the way from the entrance to the tree.
“The ministry of environment and forests is keen on promoting e-vehicles and we have floated a tender for 10 battery-run vehicles which will be allowed inside the garden,” said a senior official.
The authorities have also decided to introduce boating facilities for visitors at the 2.54-acre King’s Lake, which is located at one corner of the garden.
“We will introduce boating with a separate ticketing system for visitors at the King’s Lake just to offer some facilities for recreation. The ticket for boating will be priced Rs 50. Each ride will be for half an hour,” Singh said.