With monsoons still elusive, it’s not just the residents but also the plants, which are crying for water. Relentless heat and delayed monsoons have taken a toll on Asia’s biggest ‘Rose Garden’.

The well-known tourist spot now greets visitors with dried out plants and trees. The flower beds are in a pitiable state and weeds are growing all over. At some places weeds have taken over the plants.

The Rose Garden has many varieties of herbal plants, which can cure diseases like tuberculosis, but these plants are also drying.

While the garden had around 1,600 varieties of roses when it was created, now around 350 varieties are left.

One reason for this condition, the garden staff says, is lack of water. Such a big garden has only one tube-well, which is not drawing enough water these days, as the ground water table has receded.

Last year, by this time, Chandigarh had received 3-4 heavy showers. But this year there has been a prolonged dry spell in the region.

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the dry spell, the Administration plans to give a facelift to the garden. A grant of Rs 2.70 crore has been received from the Ministry of Tourism for the development and illumination of the garden.