VISAKHAPATNAM: The port city's biodiversity is usually associated with the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park and the Kambalakonda Reserve Forest. But very few know about the three-acre biodiversity park maintained in the Rani Chandramani Devi (RCD) Government Hospital premises.The park is maintained by the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (Vuda) and volunteers from the Dolphin Nature Conservation Society (DCNS) with an aim to conserve the nature and provide education, awareness and research opportunities to students and nature lovers.M Rama Murthy, zoology professor from BVK College along with a few students had established the park in 2002 with just 100 varieties of plants. But now it has nearly 2,000 varieties of flora including pitcher plants, 500 varieties of medicinal plants, rare orchids and even sandalwood trees which attract over 80 varieties of butterflies and 60 species of birds."We keep collecting plant species from various parts of the district, the Eastern Ghats and outside Vizag as well. The local and botanical name of all the plants are written on them for the convenience of researchers and visitors," DNCS secretary S Pavani said, adding that the government should also help maintain the park with necessary funds.Elaborating on the plants in the park, DCNS joint secretary STP Usha Sri said, "Apart from medicinal plants such as Sarpagandha, Aswagandha, all types of Tulasi, Citronella, Paarijatham, and so on, the park also has rare species such as red sanders, sandalwood, butter cup, zamia, dioon and several varieties of rare orchids," said DCNS joint secretary STP Usha Sri.However, some of the plants are drying up due to the extreme heat. "There is no water supply most of the time which is why watering so many plants becomes impossible," said Sanyasi Rao, caretaker of the park.

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