Tiruchy Corporation converts rooftops into veggie gardens

All these terrace gardens are equipped with drip and sprinkler irrigation system for which the civic body has enlisted the help of experts on rooftop gardening from Mannachalnallur who would take care of the plants for a period of two months. The civic body has been charged Rs 100 per square feet for the garden which includes, sprinklers, pipelines, net, seeds and planting bags. 

Initially, an area of 650 sq feet of the terrace is being used for the cultivation of 74 seedlings with 11 varieties of vegetables including brinjal, tomato, turnip, ladys finger and bottle guard and four types of greens.

“It was the brain child of our Commissioner N Ravichandran who had asked us to pay a visit to Palika Bazaar in New Delhi while we were attending a meeting in the city. There we had seen lanes and flower gardens on the rooftops of parking lots. Ravichandran asked us to start growing vegetables using similar technique. We then identified the shelters so that the vegetables are utilised in the kitchens there,” said junior engineer A Rajesh Kanna, in charge of the garden at the shelter near Coimbatore junction station. 

Kanna added, if the experiment becomes successful, the programme would be implemented at the remaining 600 sqft of the shelters. “The Commissioner asked to expand the programme to all the corporation buildings, including the main office in Cantonment so that the Amma Unavagams that fall under the civic body make full use of them. 

Experts have promised a yield of 17 kg of vegetables per week from each garden. At present, the civic body has been purchasing vegetables for Amma Unavagams from the market.