The 29th Annual Jamshedpur Flower Show hosted by the Horticultural Society of Jamshedpur, with support from Tata Steel and JUSCO, came to a close at Gopal Maidan on Tuesday December 26th

The closing ceremony, saw Dr. Sanjay, principal chief conservator of forests and head  of forests force Government of Jharkhand grace the occasion as chief guest and  Guest of honor Mr. Sunil Bhaskaran, VP Corporate Services, Tata Steel, who gave the valedictorian speech, and awarded the winners in each category.

Mrs. Madhulika Sharma, President of the Horticultural Society of Jamshedpur, spoke on how gratifying it was to see the record crowd at the show, nearly 30,000 people came to see it on December 25, testifying to the interest this show has garnered from the community, and to see the efforts of the Horticultural Society bearing fruit. Baren Maity, General Secretary of the Horticultural Society, described how the society started with small informal beginnings in 1986, beginning as a small club of devoted local floriculturists who came and put up their first flower show at United Club in 1989, to 335 life members in its 29th year and an ever expanding base of growers who enthusiastically participate every year.

Water conservation was this year's theme, and accordingly, technical sessions and workshops were held for budding and seasoned gardeners to understand this concept, so vital in this age of climate change. Rainwater harvesting was also addressed and there were live models for display for all interested, including models for use by small industrialists.  This year's show had another innovation, Aquaponics. This is a combination of hydroponics -- plants primarily growing in water, and aquaculture - the culture of fish. Aquaponics is the concept of plants growing in fish waste, thus creating a recycled ecosystem, and supporting the cause of water conservation. The theme of water conservation was evident in other displays as well. One of the more popular displays was the ‘All Time Water Kiosk’ popularly referred to as the Water ATM, introduced for the first time; and a 'Nest-in' steel home model from Tata Steel -- all of which were offered as ways to drive home the theme of environmental consciousness, sustainable living, and water conservation. The city's youth participate in large numbers in the technical workshops, especially in the one on water conservation -- as a recognition of the challenge it presents for this generation.  

The Flower Show was part of Jamshedpur's Winter Fest, a four-month annual celebration; only on this occasion, it is nature's most beautiful creations that provide the colour and cheer to the winter festivities! Next year's flower show dates were announced -Dec 22 to Dec 25, 2018. A prize distribution ceremony was also conducted for all the winners.

About Tata Steel

Tata Steel Group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 27.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) as on March 31, 2017. It is the world's second-most geographically-diversified steel producer, with operations in 26 countries and a commercial presence in over 50 countries. The Group recorded a consolidated turnover of US $18.12 billion (INR 117,420 crore) in FY17. Tata Steel Group is spread across five continents with an employee base of nearly 74,000. Having bagged the Deming Application Prize and Deming Grand Prize for continuous improvement in 2008 and 2012 respectively, Tata Steel has now been recognised as the global ‘Industry Leader’ in ‘Steel category’ by Dow Jones Sustainability Index (2015). Besides being a member of the World Steel Climate Action Programme, Tata Steel has also been felicitated with several awards including the Prime Minister’s Trophy for the best performing integrated steel plant for 2013-14 (received in 2017), Best Risk Management by CNBC TV18 (2016), ‘Best-in-class Manufacturing’ award from TIME India (2016) and the ‘Most Ethical Company’ award from the Ethisphere Institute (2016), IIM Sustainability Award (2015), among several others.