The local body in the outskirts of Chennai uses waste materials

It is not often that visitors walk into a government office, to be greeted by the scent of herbs. In Perungalathur town panchayat, a suburban local body near Tambaram, the sight of lush green herbs on the office terrace is a welcome relief to the eyes.

Staff in the town panchayat office tend plants such as tulsi, mint, cayenne, thyme, cilantro and aloe vera. This they do in addition to their routine daily work.

The town panchayat has set up a model roof garden using waste materials and nourished by organic manure generated from its solid waste management and this has become the centre of attraction to people who visit the office.

“This helps to promote cultivation of chemical-free vegetables and herbs at home. A team of our staff were keen on improving the model garden with innovative methods,” said the Executive officer, M. Kesavan.

Plastic containers and bags produced by Horticulture Department are used to grow the plants. “Organic materials in vegetable wastes seep into the soil through the holes and enrich the soil,” he said.

Mr. Kesavan said the garden had been frequently visited by students' teams and officials from other local bodies. The room temperature on the ground floor office has cooled down considerably. The town panchayat has been motivating residents to visit the garden and get a hands-on experience. They could use only fertilizer bags and waste containers to raise plants and dry wood for 'pandhals'.

Using organic wastes generated within the house and wastewater discharged from kitchen is enough to harvest chemical residue-free vegetables.

Above all, it will also provide an excellent green cover to the house, he added. Workshops and training programmes by horticulture experts will be arranged if groups approached them, Mr. Kesavan added.