Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has taken up a pilot project for setting up vertical gardens in the city. The civic body’s parks department has chosen a space close to Bridge 4 and under Maa flyover for setting up the first vertical garden. After completing its construction, KMC will take up the second such project in Gariahat, sources said.
According to an official, depending on the success of the pilot project, KMC will take up construction of vertical gardens. “We are searching for land, ideally under flyovers, bridges and foot overbridges for setting up vertical gardens. Since setting up a vertical garden requires expertise and huge funding, we are treading cautiously,” said a KMC parks department official. A vertical garden (up to 15 feet high) may cost the civic body around Rs 25 lakh, said a civic official.
“We have selected different varieties of herbs and shrubs that will decorate these gardens. All we need is proper supervision,” said a KMC parks official.
KMC will also write to Metro authorities for utilising pillars of under-construction Metro extension projects for setting up such gardens. Similarly, the KMC brass will write to the heads of different state agencies asking for space beneath the superstructures of the city’s flyovers and bridges to create vertical gardens.
The civic body has also planned to create more green verges, set up urban forestry and plant trees.
According to mayor Firhad Hakim, KMC was keen to develop vertical gardens and green verges to fight pollution in the city. “The air pollution scenario is turning worse. Now, we should fight the pollution tooth and nail by enhancing greeneries across the city, especially in areas where the density of vehicles has been growing steadily,” said Hakim.
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