Metropolis to help create 500 rooftop gardens

With an aim to promote greenery and food security in the Capital, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is prepared to expand the concept of “rooftop garden”. The campaign plans to involve 500 households in various wards in utilising empty rooftops to grow various edible products. According to Rabin Man Shrestha of the KMC Environment Management Division, people in the households will be encouraged to cultivate vegetables, fruits and herbs. “These products do not take much time to grow and can be consumed within the household,” said Shrestha. The KMC plans to encourage families involved in agriculture. “A handful of houses in Wards No 15 and 34 have already started growing vegetables such as tomatoes,” added Shrestha. He confirmed that 15 houses in Chamati have made an exemplary use of the rooftop garden by cultivating basic vegetables while others have concentrated on organic vegetable production. The KMC facilitates the initiative by choosing the households that are interested in constructing these gardens on their own. “We have received a number of applications via ward offices. We cannot accommodate many houses in the first phase so we haven’t made a public announcement of the plan,” says Shrestha. The KMC has received some 150 requests for facilitation for the rooftop garden. Shrestha says the maximum cost to create a rooftop garden is Rs 5,000. “We will provide the households with garden pick, spade and other necessary tools. We will also provide drums and baskets for cultivation.”