Muscat – Manicured gardens, green covered sidewalks and picturesque roundabouts decked up with colourful flowers in Muscat are a pleasant surprise for most visitors to the capital.

Managing this show of green and relaxing atmosphere is an army of Muscat Municipality workers, who work from dawn to dusk under the supervision of the Directorate General of Projects and Landscaping at the municipality.

There are 137 parks within Muscat governorate with the total green area stretching to 2,730,446sqm. There are 19,565 date palm trees in the governorate, while the number of other trees stands at 51,831.

This is in addition to 336,777 shrubs and fences and seasonal flowers spread over an area of 84,205sqm, Muscat Municipality informed.

The municipality’s nursery plays a vital role in the propagation of trees and plants such as sidr, zam, peltophorum, neem, in addition to African tulip, begonia, poinciana and others.

The average annual production of plants in Qurm Park is estimated to be between 100,000 to 120,000, and 250,000 to 300,000 shrubs.

‘The project to landscape the sidewalks adjacent to public roads and squares have a special place among the municipality’s different projects. This type of landscaping is done to add a vibrant visual element that has environmental, psychological and aesthetic benefits consistent with modern concepts of city planning,’ stated municipality.

The municipality has the latest technologies for landscaping and spreading the green cover.

‘We are working according to a well-thought-out plan to expand the scope of green spaces, and add health components that are in line with the humanisation of cities, such as the walking paths and the establishment of public parks.’

Additionally, the Directorate General of Projects and Landscaping is implementing a number of afforestation projects.

Among the latest, it has completed 80 per cent of the landscaping in Bousher public park, apart from completing a project for the afforestation of the Mashawi Village in Amerat.

The civic body recently completed the implementation of the fourth walkway project in Amerat. ‘The construction work had been assigned to the executing company, and is almost 80 per cent complete. As soon as the civil works are complete, afforestation work will be begin.’

Muscat Municipality developed a number of walkways in Al Mahaj in Amerat, Wadi Kabeer, as well as in Jaal in Bousher, the Exhibition Street at Airport Heights, and Sur al Hadeed walkway in Seeb.

Currently, the Golden Jubilee walkway in Mawaleh, Fourth Zone in Amerat, and Daghmar walkway in Quriyat are under construction, it added.