Auto drivers turn waste dump into garden

 

A green belt has come up on what used to be a virtual garbage dump with flowers like sunflower, rose and lily blooming, vegetables consisting of Spinach growing, and fruit trees including Papaya showing much promise for the future.

 

The local Krishi bhavan extends these drivers assistance. They have given them the seeds of the vegetables and advice on how to cultivate the vegetables. All these activities are ongoing in an almost hundred meter area in the Thekkethukavala junction for the last three years.

 

The effort is gradually benefiting the public as can be seen when they buy spinach for their households. Enthused by the result of what they are doing, the drivers took a public tap connection and they are now watering the flowers and vegetables regularly. Apart from water, dry cow dung is also used as manure. 

 

“We took the pipe connection after many vegetables and other plants went dry because of lack of water”, said Radhakrishnan Nair , an auto-driver who is one of main movers of this remarkable work, while speaking to Deccan Chronicle.

 

There are at present 20 autorickshaws at Thekkethukaavala, and they got interested in growing when their trips dwindled because of the reluctance of the citizens to commute. The decreasing price of rubber is the reason behind citizens not commuting by autos.

 

“Now we hardly have any trips. In the meantime, we will nurse the garden.  But naturally we expect some assistance from panchayath authorities for continuing the activity”, says Lalu, another autorickshaw driver. The drivers water the plants and vegetables in the evening. They have also constructed a shed using palm leaves besides the garden. Rs 600 is given per month to pay for the water connection, they say.