JOIN USFresh from the backyard
The City’s garbage woes are nothing new; even now, Bengaluru grapples to contain the amount of solid waste it produces. Nearly 5,000 tonnes of waste is produced on a daily basis, of which an approximate 60 per cent is organic. Even as we bin the leftovers of last night’s salad, landfills around the City are bursting at the seams.
But according to Dr Yellappa Reddy, former secretary, Department of Ecology and Environment, we can easily contain the amount of organic waste that is sent to landfills if everyone takes to organic terrace gardening and composting. “Even in urbanised areas, it is possible. The space in individual apartment houses is limited but if five to 10 per cent of the entire land is earmarked for gardening, it will destinely make a difference. One just needs a space that is well aerated and has sufficient light,” he says. Vani Murthy, an expert at composting, adds that before planting a terrace garden, one should understand and start composting. “I started solid waste management in 2007. I had seen the condition of landfills and how they affect the environment around, so I didn’t want to send my waste there. I wanted to manage it at the source level. At first, I failed, but now I have an unbelievable space. I’d say that people should understand the breakdown of organic matter and the environment before they start planting.”
There is no set rule on how to compost and Vani says that a person must figure out what works for them. Whether it’s in a plastic bucket or a terracotta composter, one can control the organic waste that is sent away. She is composting in four different ways herself. “There are different ways to compost — the regular method is when one uses their daily dump. Bokashi composting is an anaerobic way of fermenting waste. One can also do vermi composting or garden-based composting, with waste from the garden. In vermi composting, one can’t just dump waste on the earthworms; if the soil gets too acidic, they will crawl out of it.” Dr Yellappa adds that adding ‘sludge’ is needed to activate the decomposing process. “One can either buy sludge or sprinkle dung or unadulterated buttermilk.”
Even an amateur can start a kitchen garden and compost. Uma Hoysala started gardening on her terrace two years ago, after a friend gifted her a kitchen gardening set. “When you see a plant that you’ve nurtured sprouting, you feel happy and it makes you want to do more. I found myself researching on the best ways to keep my garden safe,” she says. “It didn’t make sense to use pesticides in my garden as I’m already consuming them through daily purchases. Instead, I use kitchen waste as compost and to get seeds. I just need to let the vegetables mature and dry the seeds,” she adds. It has gone from being a hobby to a responsibility, as she doesn’t want to contribute to the growing landfills. According to Dr Yellappa, gardening can be ‘eco-therapeutic’.
There are about 25 greens and numerous vegetables, fruits and flowers one can grow in their backyard. “I once saw a woman plucking greens near Agara Lake. When I spoke to her, she said that those greens are really tasty but one doesn’t get them in the market,” says Dr Yellappa. Smitha Prasad, who started a terrace garden a month back, grows flowers, vegetables, herbs, fruits and succulents. Her collection includes Lantana, Begonia, Anthurium, long beans, ginger, pumpkin, ladies finger, lemon grass, chives, rosemary, aloe vera, grapes, banana, guava and more. “We (my husband and I) have also germinated maize and have about 100 saplings.” Another plant enthusiast, Mythreyi Lakshminarayanan says, “I have always been passionate about gardening, thanks to my mom and grandmom, who have maintained a garden since my childhood.” She, along with her family, have a terrace full of organic vegetables. But can one be self-sufficient with their garden produce? “Yes. There are numerous vegetables that are easy to sow and maintain in small treys. And even waste like the peels of citrus fruits, which can’t be composted, can be used to wash dishes and as handwash soaps,” says Dr Yellappa. He insists that an hour in the garden can make all the difference. But Uma isn’t of the same opinion. “If it’s a small family, one could. But I have a family of six and for various reason our produce isn’t enough. Our building is old and can’t take the weight of so many pots and we have monkeys stealing from us!”