Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani's name is taken among the big industrialists of the country, but an interesting project related to his business empire is also related to farming and environment. There is a huge mango orchard near the refinery complex of Reliance in Jamnagar, Gujarat, which is known as Dhirubhai Ambani Lakhibaug Amrai.
Spread over about 600 acres, this mango orchard is said to have more than 1.5 lakh fruit bearing mango trees. More than 200 varieties of mango are grown here. According to a general estimate of land prevalent in Gujarat, 600 acres is approximately equal to 1,500 bighas.
Where is this huge mango orchard in Jamnagar?
Dhirubhai Ambani Lakhibaug Amrai has been developed around Reliance's large refinery complex in Jamnagar, Gujarat. It started in 1997 as an initiative related to environmental protection.
The land in the area where this project was developed was considered saline and barren. Reliance planted trees on this land on a large scale and gradually a huge green area was created here.
The aim was to create a green belt around the refinery.
During the construction of Jamnagar Refinery, there were many challenges regarding the environment around the industrial complex. In such a situation, a plan was made to develop green area around the refinery.
Under this initiative, trees were planted on saline land. With time, the number of mango trees here increased and the project started taking the form of a big mango estate.
More than 1.5 lakh mango trees
Initially about 1 lakh mango trees were planted in this orchard. Later it was expanded and today it is said to have more than 1.5 lakh fruit bearing trees.
The specialty of this garden is not just the number of trees. There is a collection of more than 200 varieties of mango here. That is, it is not limited to commercial cultivation of just one popular variety.
Many Indian varieties from Kesar to Alphonso
Many popular Indian mango varieties are grown in Lakhibagh Amrai. Among these, varieties like Kesar, Alphonso, Hapus, Langra, Chausa, Amrapali and Ratna are mentioned.
Growing different varieties at one place greatly increases the diversity of this garden.
Presence of foreign mangoes also
The collection of this huge orchard is not limited to Indian mangoes only. Some foreign varieties are also cultivated here. These are said to include varieties like America's Tommy Atkins and Israel's Lily and Palmer.
Thus, this orchard of Jamnagar is known for growing many varieties of Indian and foreign mangoes in a single complex.
Named after Dhirubhai Ambani
This garden has been named in honor of Mukesh Ambani's father Dhirubhai Ambani. The name 'Lakhibagh Amrai' is said to be inspired by the historical Lakhibagh, which is associated with the Mughal period and Akbar.
The historical Lakhibaug is also referred to as the Big Mango Orchard and is said to have a large number of mango trees.
Project started from environment, big agricultural estate built
Jamnagar's Lakhibaug Amrai is an example of how a green initiative started around an industrial area can turn into a large-scale horticulture project.
According to the information related to Reliance, apart from the domestic market, the mangoes produced here are also transported to international markets like America, Europe and Gulf countries.
Spread over about 600 acres, this garden holds special attraction due to its huge area, large number of trees and hundreds of varieties of mango. However, the figure for converting land into bighas may vary according to local measurement systems, so the figure of 1,500 bighas is based on the estimate of about 2.5 bighas per acre prevalent in Gujarat.
Share this story