The almost four-decade old iconic floral clock, which was installed in Lalbagh Botanical Garden by Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT), will be back to its former glory by the end of this month.
The clock stopped functioning seven months ago during last year’s rains. Although all related costs used to be borne by HMT before, post its closure, the Horticulture Department takes care of the clock. The clock was also repaired once before in 2018 due to seepage problems.
The floral clock was among the many installations like the tower clock and the solar clock done in various cities in the country by HMT during their functioning days. “When HMT approached us, the Horticulture Department accepted their demand and created a new slope near the main gate at Lalbagh. The clock was installed there and it had a machine inside. They were also bearing the running costs for several years, but after that the civil structure was abandoned before the department took over,” said M. Jagadeesh, Joint Director (Parks and Gardens) Horticulture Department.
He added that as the Lalbagh Lake was breached last year after heavy rainfall, the low-lying area was submerged and the motors were also damaged.
“After that, we requested HMT to repair it. Although they stopped their maintenance eventually, we now pay them around ₹2 lakh to ₹3 lakh a year for maintenance as they have to take care of the battery and other accessories. This time, they said there was some leakage and it should be repaired. The civil work is now going on at a cost of ₹1 lakh.”
Throughout the years, along with the glasshouse and the lake, the floral clock has been a landmark structure in Lalbagh. For the revamping, the department is using Alternanthera plants for the dial while using other coloured floral plants for the needles. “It is a heritage of Lalbagh and we are looking to continue to keep it the same way,” Mr. Jagadeesh said.
