Go Green: Delhi government promotes vertical gardening to curb pollution in National Capital

The Delhi government has requested the civic agencies to take up large-scale vertical gardening to reduce pollution in the national Capital.Vertical gardening involves growing plants on vertical surfaces of urban structures like flyover columns and buildings with an integrated water irrigation system.

The environment and forest minister of the Delhi government, Imran Hussain has written letters to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Public Works Department (PWD) and to the three municipal corporations in the Capital pointing out its efforts to increase green cover in the city.

"Green cover can also be enhanced by undertaking vertical gardening activities on buildings, flyovers, spaces and columns underneath the flyovers. This will help in neutralising air pollution due to dust and vehicular pollution," Hussain wrote in his letter.

In his letters to DDA vice-chairperson, mayors of the three municipal corporations and the PWD minister, Hussain urged them to direct agencies and departments under their ambit to undertake vertical plantation across Delhi.

Last week, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, in a meeting, had directed the municipal corporations and the DDA to come up with vertical gardens on flyovers and irrigate them with non-potable water only. He had also stressed on developing green parks on vacant gram sabha lands, to achieve the goal of 'Green Delhi'.