The transformation took place after two senior citizens — Nusrat and Afzal Khatri — both Kandivli residents started the project three years ago with help from the civic body and police.
Along with a few officers from the adjoining police station, some thirty-odd schools kids from the Gundecha School in Kandivli are busy adoring the four-member Magpie Robin family. The flock is regularly sighted at the garden behind the Kandivli police station, where they come to quench their thirst.
And, its not just the Magpie Robins, but also White Throated Fantail Fly Catchers who come visiting to beat the summer heat.
The garden, once a dump yard, has now become a classroom of environmental studies for school students. The transformation took place after two senior citizens — Nusrat and Afzal Khatri — both Kandivli residents started the project three years ago with help from the civic body and police.
Besides having tree stems as seats, the manicured lawns in the garden have tree log boundaries; and then there are narrow passages with bee posts where bees come and store honey. The garden has over 1,000 varieties of plants and various birds are frequently spotted on the trees around.
“We come here to learn about composting, rain water harvesting and use of solar panels,” said Surbhi Todi, a Std IX student from Gundecha School.
“We have children come here almost every day. A month is booked for each school. Later, some even come and work with the malis if they want to,” said Vinayak Mulay, police inspector (crime) at the Kandivli police station. Mulay himself along with some colleagues waters the garden when he gets time.
The compost pit in the garden is used by not only the nearby canteen to dump their garbage, but also by people living in the vicinity. “There is a vegetable market nearby and many canteens. All the leftover and garbage from these places comes here,” said Nusrat Khatri.
Money for the garden’s maintenance comes from the little donations that people make. “The basic expense is of paying the malis. Otherwise, most of the other things in the garden are taken care of by donations,” said Afzal Khatri. “Once a builder saw that we were using damaged bricks and so decided to offer quality ones for the compost pit.” Also, a nursery owner and another donor gave two hundred plants for the garden two years back.
“That was when we had just started work with 50 students from Thakur College, who were volunteering to set up the garden. Those students still come to water the plants,” added Afzal Khatri. This group of students is currently working on a lotus well, which has been designed by them for the garden. “The BMC will be sending some muck to which we will add water. In some time we will have lotuses here,” said Afzal Khatri.
Even children living in the near by slums pool in to maintain the garden. “They used to play in the garbage. We got them a bat and ball, and now they keep the place clean. Also, they water the plants in the garden and shoo away stray dogs,” added Afzal Khatri.
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