KARACHI – Men, women and children thronged a heritage site in downtown Karachi to take selfies and photos with colorful flowers, mostly orange, yellow and copper-brown in colour.
The sprawling lawns of Frere Hall, a 19th century British colonial-era building in Karachi, were hosting different varieties of marigold, which authorities said would help restore the ecosystem badly affected by climate change.
The three-day exhibition, which was opened by Karachi administrator Murtaza Wahab on Friday, also displayed the non-native white marigold.
“Around 50,000 flowers of different varieties of marigold, a winter flower, has been displayed, which have not only brought colors and floral scent, but will help improve the ecosystem too,” said Ali Hasan Sajid, a spokesperson for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
Muhammad Kamran, the director of FGRF, a welfare division of the Dawat-e-Islami religious group that partnered with the KMC for the exhibition, said white marigold was especially brought to the park, despite the fact that it was not a native flower and its production was the toughest job.
“We sowed 20,000 seeds of white marigold and only 500 plants could be produced,” he said.
Kamran said the collection of the seasonal flower, which lasts for just three to four months, would be taken to Shahrah-e-Faisal thoroughfare and parks of the city after the festival was over, so that more people could see it and feel motivated to help improve the environment.
“This is a winter flower and it brings honeybees and flies. These in turn bring birds, which we have lost due to climate change. The presence of these flowers in the city is essential for our ecosystem,” he said.
“This exhibition is meant for awareness and protecting our environment.”
