Greener city: NKDA looks to use 'vertical gardens' on Metro rail pillars

Kolkata: New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has chalked out a unique plan of putting up flower pots to set up green vertical gardens on Metro rail pillars as a part of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's 'Save Green and Stay Clean' project.

The project is the only of its kind in the country, where flower pots will be put up on Metro pillars to set up vertical gardens.

As a pilot project, NKDA has put up flower pots to make up vertical gardens on the pillars of the Airport – Garia Metro railway route. Many people had written letters to NKDA authorities, requesting them to take measures to decorate the Metro pillars.

Finally, the decision to put up vertical garden was taken as it is easy to maintain and will give added values to the project taken up to increase green cover in New Town. It has often been found that the naked Metro pillars are aesthetically poor and did not go with the soothing ambiance of New Town.

Earlier, Metro pillars were decorated with sketches from Rabindranath Tagore's Sahaj Path, paintings of Jamini Roy and even smilies were put up. Attempts were made to decorate the Metro pillars with creepers but the scheme had to be discarded as because of shadow the growth of the creepers was affected.

NKDA officials felt that once the vertical gardens come up, they will not only increase the green cover of New Town but will add more value to the ambiance of the area.

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister's new thrust is to increase the green cover of the cities and the townships under 'Save Green and Stay Clean' project. In the recently held administrative review meetings in Jangalmahal, she had given special emphasis to clean the district and augment greenery.

The new Mayor of Kolkata Firhad Hakim, who is also the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister, has said repeatedly that his prime work in Kolkata will be to increase greenery.

NKDA has taken several measures to make New Town a green city. Nurseries to grow tall trees have come up and those who will maintain trees will be awarded in a bid to encourage the residents.