The BMC’s role is to provide land, water, and electricity, and 24 pits have been constructed
Representational Image
In a bid to reclaim neglected city spaces, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned a pilot project to convert the area beneath a flyover near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport’s Terminal 1 into a sprawling ‘community urban farm’. The initiative, expected to be a first for the Western Express Highway (WEH) corridor in the metropolis, aims to transform a 24,000-sq-ft stretch into a lush agricultural zone where locals can grow vegetables, fruits and other plants, they said.
Under the proposed plan, the BMC will create dedicated cultivation pits of about 6x3 feet, which will be offered to locals on an adoption basis. Participating families will be responsible for maintaining and harvesting their respective plots, fostering a ‘farm-to-table’ culture. The BMC’s role is to provide land, water, and electricity, and 24 pits have been constructed.
While there may be some misgivings and debate about this ‘urban farm’ concept, we need to give it a chance. The important thing is to use land under bridges/flyovers in a productive way, not simply turn it into car parks. There is potential to make these into green patches so that the concrete urban sprawl benefits from the little pockets of green, which are an aesthetic break from the grey. There are some flyovers that do have citizen-centric spaces below. But it is time to look at more flyovers and innovative ways to make our infrastructure more appealing.
They can turn into play areas, rest spaces, even educational hubs, senior citizen spaces, or simply any facility designed to enhance the physical and mental well-being of citizens. More power to these ideas and initiatives.
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