The green divide

The green divide


Raghavendra R First Published : 16 Apr 2009 08:12:18 AM ISTLast Updated : 16 Apr 2009 10:28:07 AM IST
BANGALORE: Seems like the BBMP has figured out that every drop counts. And so in its new initiative to beautify major junctions and road medians in the city, the BBMP’s Horticulture Department has undertaken a project, fancifully termed: ‘Beautification of Urban Space.
The new concept, which is said to have coined by the BBMP Commissioner, involves development of circles and road medians. Under this concept, the BBMP Horticulture Department has landscaped and beautified the NH-7 road median with different species of flora from Hebbal flyover to Bangalore International Airport. The unique part in the beautification of the median is the adoption of drip irrigation for plants.
Speaking to the Express, BBMP Horticulture Joint Director A Narayanswamy said that it was the first time in the city that drip irrigation was adopted for watering plants in the medians. “On NH-7, the road median beautification was done for 20 km ie, between Hebbal flyover and Bangalore International Airport during the last week of February,” he added.
Narayanswamy informed that the cost of the project was around Rs 2 crore. “Ten bore wells on the NH-7 are used to irrigate the variety of plants with the help of drip irrigation in three rows.
Stone sculpture of different shapes like fountains, elephants, lion and tortoise are used to add to the aesthetics of the junctions,” he added.
Different species of flora like Cycas, Ficus species, different variety of palms, bogunvilla, clerodendron and grass are planted on the median.
“Apart from tall plants, hardy plants have been used extensively as they are sustainable in high temperature, requires less water and remains green forever. The plants check high beam of the motor vehicles from the opposite direction thereby making driving safe,” he added.
Narayanswamy said that detailed project report was under process for beautification of major circles, medians and also below flyovers that come under BBMP limits. “The work will be undertaken once the elections are over,” he added.
It was said that the core ring road, inner ring road, peripheral ring road and junctions have been identified for beautification of medians under the new concept. “The whole project cost of ‘Beautification of urban space’ in the city is about Rs 10 crore,” Narayanswamy added. Windsor Manor road median, K R Circle and Chalukya Circle are few of the junctions that are under beautification process. “Under the drip irrigation method, usage of water is minimised,” he said. Apart from bore wells, non-potable water treated by industries is also used for irrigation as water management.
“A proposal to make use of non-potable water treated by industries is in the pipeline in consultation with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board,” Narayanswamy added.