Vertical gardens to come up at traffic junctions

A senior Corporation official said that the vertical garden planned at the GN Chetty Road traffic junction would serve as a green lung in the highly polluted environment. “The project is being piloted under the Chennai Smart City initiative, at an estimated cost of Rs 30 lakh. We are currently studying the feasibility of the project,” said the official.

Cities across the world are finding ways to green public spaces like traffic junctions, to mitigate the pollution caused by increased vehicular usage. In India, the trend is catching up too – the pillars of Bengaluru’s Hosur Road flyover are stacked with pots of plants, while Pune Metro and Delhi Metro have already installed vertical gardens in metro pillars.

In Chennai, too, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has installed a vertical garden in one of the pillars outside the Koyambedu Metro Station, teaming up with a start-up company, where old plastic waste was converted into recyclable planter vases. “This is a boon to the society in reducing the air-pollution and controlling the plastic waste, which affects global warming,” stated a CMRL release. In fact, 400 vases accommodating 1,250 plants were installed in the pillar with a drip irrigation model to ensure minimum water usage. CMRL is planning to install more vertical gardens across the pillars of its various stations.

A Smart City official pointed out that with vertical gardens gaining popularities across the world, the Corporation, too, is exploring ways to install these green lungs at city’s most congested traffic spots. “We are currently exploring the design and feasibility options – because it is not enough to just install the plants but also ensure it is watered daily and maintained. Who will water it? Will the maintenance be outsourced to NGOs? Some entities have expressed interest in using their CSR funds for this initiative. The Corporation is conducting a detailed study to iron out these aspects of installing a vertical garden,” said the official.

If the vertical garden project takes off in GN Chetty Road, the Corporation is planning to extend it to other traffic congested areas, as a counter in these critically polluted locations.