RAJKOT: Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel recently inaugurated the newly constructed Urban Forest ‘Ram Van’. The cost of the project, constructed by Rajkot Municipal Corporation, is estimated to be Rs 13.77 crores, which is spread over 47 acres of land near Aji dam. CM Patel also formally inaugurated 23 electric buses and the charging stations for them, as well as gave the go-ahead for the buses. A total of 50 buses were sanctioned by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation. The buses are well-equipped with facilities such as fully automatic entry and exit, SOS – Emergency Alarm for passenger safety, camera, GPS tracking system, etc.
With the opening of Ram Van, colourful Rajkot has today become a cultural, religious, and historical city, said Mayor of Rajkot Pradip Dav. The primary goal of Ram Van’s construction is to conserve India’s natural and cultural legacy. At this time, when concrete jungles are expanding, massive tree plantations are essential for maintaining the environmental balance. The Rajkot Municipal Corporation built an urban forest modelled on the life of Lord Rama in an effort to give visitors a taste of the mythological era. Its bow-shaped main door is part of an effort to bring Lord Rama’s life narrative back to life. Other attractions built in Ram Van include the Ram Setu Bridge, Adventure Bridge, Renovation of Natural Water Source, Children Playground, Amphitheatre with a capacity of 150, and Rashivan.
In addition to this, roughly 80,000 species have been planted on 25 blocks of land, with 2 of those blocks having a Miyawaki motif. The drip irrigation system will be used to water all of the trees in Ram Van. To conserve water, trees will only be grown using seepage recycled water.
A 15,200 square metre charging station for electric buses has been built at a cost of Rs 11.63 crore. This charging station has been equipped with features including a 3100-watt HT power connection, two 2500-watt transformers, a panel room, a cable duct, a charging shed for all electric buses, fourteen 240 kilowatt chargers, and more.
Amongst other dignitaries present were Vaju Vala, former Governor of Karnataka, Raghavji Patel, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Gujarat and Arvind Raiyani, Minister of Roads and Transportation, Government of Gujarat.