Noida Flower Show from Feb 21, spotlight on air purifying plants

With air pollution becoming a perennial concern in the National Capital Region, air purifying plants will be in focus at the 34th edition of the Noida Flower Show which begins this Friday, officials said on Monday.

The Noida Authority, the organiser of the three-day extravaganza, said the focus would also be on inculcating "love for nature" among children and raising awareness among them about composting and reducing plastic usage.

"The 34th edition of the Noida Flower Show is being held from February 21 to February 23," Noida Authority General Manager Rajeev Tyagi said.

He said there will be over 3,500 varieties of flowers with a special focus on dianthus from 40 nurseries, including those from Kalimpong and Bheemtal. Bonsai, cactus and succulents will be among other attractions.

There will be more than 100 stalls to cater to all types of gardening requirements like tools and material, he added.

"Preparations are in full swing. This year there would be numerous varieties of flowers, some new varieties apart from the existing old varieties while the theme flower this year is Dianthus," Tyagi said.

He said special displays would be put up by participants like the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), the Northern Railways, Indian Navy, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, LG, Adobe Systems India, NIIT and multiple schools.

"The focus of the show is to highlight the air purifying plants and say no to plastic. There will be a kiosk for giving plants in exchange for plastic by the 'Human Touch' organisation. 'Nukkad natak' (street plays) are also being staged to highlight these issues," Tyagi said.

"Demonstrations will be held to show how composting can be done with an emphasis on reducing waste, while children will be taught how to plant to inculcate the love for plants in them from an early age," he added.