Odisha starts awareness drive for rooftop, home gardening
Singh Deo said green space is fast reducing with rapid urbanisation across the state. Concrete buildings and roads are eating up green spaces in cities creating urban heat island effect.
'This is a novel attempt by the government to encourage citizens to develop more greenery spaces through rooftop and home gardening, peri-urban and urban horticulture for aesthetics, nutrition and healthy environment in urban areas. City dwellers in residential and institutional buildings will be sensitised and educated on using innovative technologies to develop green spaces in their homes. This initiative will be piloted in five major cities of Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Jeypore,' he said.
The project is funded under state plan scheme - Innovative Projects for Promotion of Urban Horticulture - and implemented by the Central Horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-IIHR), Bhubaneswar. The campaign vehicle will move across various urban zones of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack for over a month-long awareness drive, reaching out to residential communities, educational institutions, resident welfare associations and other city-based organisations along with general public, he added.
The vehicle is equipped with audio-visual educational materials in Odia and English for demonstration of innovative and technical exhibits, distribution of technical pamphlets and arrangements for organising interaction points for citizens to discuss and seek expert advice.
Singh Deo said the department encourages all citizens, institutions and community groups to participate actively and contribute to greener cities across the state.
Director, Agriculture & Food Production Subham Saxena, additional secretary Shubhranshu Mishra and other senior officers were present at the event.
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