Metro pillars in 'Garden City' Bengaluru might soon have vertical gardens attached to them
The Garden City of India, Bengaluru has been facing the problem of diminishing greenery for a while now, with trees being cut down as part of the urbanisation process. Recently, there was a report that an advertising agency in the city had cut down trees near one of the major junctions just for better visibility of an advertisement hoarding of a major smartphone company. Work on the city's metro project, called 'Namma Metro', has been ongoing for some time, and plenty of tress are being cut down during its course. However, it now seems that this project could actually prompt the addition of more trees in the city.
Hydroponics is a special phenomenon where trees can be planted in sand and gravel using various nutrients, replacing soil. The pillars and towers that hold and support the metro system in the city will now be attached with gardens. Hydrobloom, a startup from the city, is taking charge of this project, with permission from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). Anil Kumble Circle in Bengaluru now has pillars with vertical gardens. This initial move, however, is just a test pilot, with plans afoot for the implementation of vertical gardens across the rest of the rail system after considering the outcome of this one.
The CEO of Hydrobloom, Sunil Jose, said in his chat with the Times of India, "Once we succeed in getting the required results, the project will be taken up on the entire stretch of MG Road. We will also look for sponsors under corporate social responsibility. The vertical garden project is ideal for cities like Bengaluru, where pollution levels have increased at an alarming rate."
The special type of plants grown employ 90 percent less water when compared to the regular conventional soil. Around 500 litres of water is used to support these plants for a single pillar, and the tank is filled just once a month.
This is an excellent initiative, considering the increasing amounts of pollution and alarming tree-cutting we see not just in Bengaluru, but in all our metros.
Do you have an interesting story to share? Please write to us at [email protected]. To stay updated with more positive news, please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
