AMC readies four vertical gardens to provide a whiff of fresh air

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, July 27:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is on a mission

to minimise the growing threat of air pollution in the city. As a part of it, it has vowed to develop vertical gardens at 10 different places in the city; construct fountains at squares and circles attracting clouds of dust on different streets and other preventive measures.

The AMC garden superintendent Vijay Patil said,” The civic administration had first erected vertical garden, on a pilot basis, upon a nullah, near Siddharth Garden. Of the proposed 10 new gardens, four are expected to be completed by this week. We will be planting 10,000 saplings in four gardens.”

Under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), the Central Government has granted funds to AMC under the 15th finance commission. Hence the state government has directed the AMC to undertake immediate measures to reduce the growing pollution in the city and utilise the funds appropriately.

The AMC undertook the task of developing vertical gardens on the pillars beneath the flyovers and the bridges built upon nullahs. It repaired the main fountain in the Siddharth Garden, the construction of street fountains at main crossroads, and planting saplings in the dividers of main roads and footpaths are underway. The AMC administrator A K Pandey has approved the proposal’s expenditure to the tune of Rs 26 crore.

“ A sum of Rs 99.95 lakh is for vertical gardens. Of the selected 10 spots, the vertical gardens at Mahaveer Chowk, AMC headquarters, Narali Baugh and Aurangpura are on verge of completion. A total of 2,500 saplings each will be planted in a vertical garden at Mahaveer Chowk and AMC headquarters, 3,500 at Narali Baugh and 1,500 at Aurangpura Nullah. In this way, 10,000 saplings will be planted in these four gardens. Meanwhile, the work of fixing steel framed grills upon the nullahs on other spots is underway by AMC,” said the garden superintendent.