City gets green walls to curb pollution

Patna

is the fifth most polluted city in the world with a population of about 20 lakh. Sadly, many suffer from lung diseases and infections due to extreme pollution in the atmosphere. Thus, to curb the pollution level in the city, authorities have started making vertical gardens on flyovers. Recently, pillar number 89 of Jagdeopath-Shiekhpura More flyover has been converted into a

vertical garden

—adorned with plants of different varieties. The initiative has been taken by Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL). This was done not just to beautify the city, but also to control pollution that is on a constant rise.
What is a vertical garden?
Vertical gardens are usually constructed on walls or pillars. Since they grow vertically, they do not require a lot of space and it can be created even on the busiest roads. The vertical garden erected on Jagdeopath-Shiekhpura More flyover has nearly 1,000 plants, including varieties like haze, snake plants, dracaena and jasmine. “These plants have been imported from Kolkata and the pots from Pune,” informed Sunil Kumar, engineer, BRPNNL. There are plans in the pipeline to erect vertical gardens on

Exhibition Road

and Station Road as well. The walls, which have vertical gardens on it, show a drop in temperature by 1-2°C. Also, it helps curb pollution by absorbing harmful particles in the air.
Shopping complexes and restaurants join hands
This vertical garden is not the first in the city. A popular shopping complex,

Maurya Lok

, too has vertical gardens. Dhananjay Yadav, a shop owner at the complex, said, “These gardens don’t take space at all and can be easily made anywhere. It helps keep my shop cool in summer and also looks nice.”
The restaurants in the city have also constructed vertical gardens as a part of their decor. Anurag, a restaurant owner from Patna, said, “The first time I noticed a vertical garden was at a restaurant in Delhi. I really liked it. So, when I started my own restaurant in the city, I decided to incorporate vertical gardens for interiors. The greenery on the walls looks appealing. The garden at my restaurant has earned me a lot
of compliments.”
Green beginning
“I really liked the idea of vertical gardens on pillars of flyovers. It’s a new concept. Flyovers in the city are always full of dust as there is always some construction work going on. These vertical gardens will help fight that,” said Shreya Singh, a student and a daily commuter on the route. But citizens have also raised concern about whether the administration will be able to take care of these gardens in the long run. “They start every project with a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades out eventually. Planting trees is one thing and taking daily care of these plants is another. Also, it is just one pillar. Our government will have to create many more pillar gardens and take care of them,” said Ravi Shankar Jha, a resident of Bailey Road.

— Sweta Bharti