Annual autumn flower show kicks off

Mayor promises to enhance natural beauty of capital

ISLAMABAD: It seems autumn was late this year as the 35th Chrysanthemum and Autumn Flower Show started at the Rose and Jasmine Garden on Friday.

Islamabad Mayor and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz inaugurated the three-day flower show. The show has been organised by the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) in collaboration with the Islamabad Horticulture Society (IHS) to cater to the aesthetic sense of the capital’s residents.

Multiple varieties of chrysanthemums particularly intermediate, incurred, reflex, sprays, anemone, pompons, Korean hybrids, single-floor and spidery flower were displayed in mounds, stalls and rainbow arrangements at the show.

Various organisations including Khan Research Laboratories, the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and other departments including different embassies are also participating in the show.

Apart from general flowers, miniature gardens, flower stands and vegetable stalls have also been set up at the show.

A flower arrangements competition for ladies has also been arranged

Aziz said that the local government is upgrading the road infrastructure in the city to make the overall environment of the capital more pleasant and to cater to the future traffic needs of the city by adopting the latest technology.

The mayor added that 10 trees will be planted for every tree that is chopped to make way for a development project. Furthermore, he added that they would replace tree before initiating the project so that the loss of even one tree could be compensated before its chopping.

His comments come in wake of the Supreme Court taking notice of trees being chopped along the Embassy Road in the capital.

“It is our prime responsibility to provide a safer and healthier environment to our next generation,” Aziz said, adding that the entire world was taking steps to counter the impact of climate change.

He further said that the IMC was taking steps to provide a healthier environment to the residents of the capital as a healthy environment leads to healthy attitudes and flowers contribute remarkably to a healthy environment.

“Flowers are a special gift of nature and meticulous ministration is needed to preserve this gift,” the mayor said.

The IMC, he said, would provide patronage to all steps taken to improve the environment and promote a green character of Islamabad.

Aziz vowed that in the upcoming spring tree plantation drive, more trees would be planted in the areas where development activities were being carried out on a large scale so that the environment of Islamabad can be further improved.

The Chrysanthemum and Autumn Flowers Show at Rose and Jasmine Garden will continue until December 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2017.