Over 11 flyovers in South Delhi are all set to go green! Thanks to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s decision (SDMC) to install vertical gardens at these locations in the next four months.
Apart from giving the drab pillars and walls an all-new aesthetic, these vertical gardens will also help tackle the national capital’s pollution woes.
The flyovers to be transformed in the first phase include the ones at Lajpat Nagar, Andrews Ganj, Sarai Kale Khan, Kalkaji, Nehru Place and Raja Garden, which will also use recycled water.
In the second phase, structures such as garbage collection centres will be set up, reported The Times of India.
A variety of ferns, ficus species, ribbon grass and blade grass, will adorn these vertical gardens. The corporation has two holding structures in mind for the vertical gardens. One in which plastic pots are hung over plastic frames and another with a coco-pit-based medium for plants, with a bigger root system.
Speaking to TOI, Alok Kumar, Director of SDMC’s Horticulture Department said, “The project has already been initiated at Savitri flyover. These plants will replace dead concrete walls with lively green spaces, which are known to relieve tension. They will trap excess dust and release oxygen,” Kumar said. This project will also play an instrumental role in combating the spike in pollution, said Commissioner Puneet Goel.
Delhi generates over 131 tonnes of dust every day, which is also one of the leading causes of the degrading air quality in the capital. Road dust accounts for 35% of PM2.5 emissions, a study by IIT Kanpur states. [Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) refers to tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause air to appear hazy when levels are elevated. They pollute the air and are a concern for health.]
READ MORE: Delhi Metro’s Drab Pillars Go Green with a ‘Vertical’ Makeover
In light of the existing environmental crisis in Delhi, these vertical gardens could be one step forward in helping its citizens breathe a little easy.
It isn’t just the South Delhi Municipal Corporation that is going the green mile, the Director of Horticulture in North Delhi Municipal Corporation revealed that the civic body would kickstart a pilot project at the upcoming Rani Jhansi flyover too!
Whether the upcoming gardens can stand Delhi’s harsh heat is still unknown, but we hope the civic bodies succeed in their endeavours to install and maintain them in the long run.
(Edited by Shruti Singhal)
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