There is a wish : There are 'Vegetables'

Spending time after retirement is one of the biggest dilemmas for senior-citizens. As they do not have much to do, their daily life goes around reading newspapers, watching television, talking to neighbors or sitting idle. Very few can continue an energetic life.

Shashi Bikram Rana, a retired government officer, is one of such example, leading an active life. After working for 25 years for Employees Provident Fund, he was free most of the time. Pondering on looking after post-career option, he found his new passion – rooftop gardening.  Rana decided to grow vegetables in his rooftop garden to utilize his leisure time and stay fit as well. "I didn't want to be idle at my home after retirement. So, the idea of installing rooftop garden was best for keeping myself busy," shares Rana. However, Rana had no knowledge about moving ahead.  

'There is a wish, there is a way' worked rightly for Rana. Soon, he came in contact with some organization providing knowledge on rooftop farming, and also received training for required skills.     

Rooftop gardening is getting popularity among residents of the Kathmandu valley. Altogether, 150 households of Subidhanagar, Chamati and Chagal of Kathmandu have grown vegetables on their rooftop.

Now, Rana owns a well-cultivated vegetable garden on his rooftop. From dawn to dusk, he is busy in his rooftop garden. On a visit, you can be amazed to see varieties of fresh and mouthwatering vegetables growing in his garden. His continuous labor has turned the small rooftop into a small farmland bearing spinach, brinjal, radish, carrot, coriander, tomato and other vegetables and herbs. Now, he doesn't have to visit market for fresh vegetables anymore. "Vegetables grown here are sufficient for my family. They are much tastier than available in market, as they are organic. I have not bought vegetables from market since I started rooftop gardening," says Rana.

Rana has become a role-model in his community and loves sharing his knowledge and skills with others interested in installing rooftop gardening.

Rooftop gardening has not only saved his time and money. It has earned him the fame of a role model in his own society. People interested in rooftop gardening visits and seeks his advice from Rana. "We had formed a group after receiving the training. We visit each other's rooftop garden, distribute vegetables and share knowledge among us," shares Rana adding that rooftop farming has also strengthened mutual cooperation among members of the society.

Sadhuram Shrestha, a retired resident of Subidhanagar has also set up rooftop gardening. Before receiving training on rooftop gardening, his rooftop was decked with beautiful flowers. Now, those aromatic flowers have been replaced with varieties of fresh and green vegetables. Shrestha's two daughters and wife has been supporting him in the garden. "We have mint, tomatoes, cauliflowers, spinach, radish, garlic and peas in our garden," says Shrestha, showing his garden proudly. 

Retired Sadhuram Shrestha and his neighbor Dhan Bahadur Khatri have gardens full of green and fresh vegetables. They believe one needs to work a bit harder to enjoy fresh veggies. 

Shrestha's neighbor Dhan Bahadur Khatri attends his job during day time. Once he gets back, his favorite resting place becomes his rooftop garden. Khatri can be seen toiling hard in his rooftop garden during spare times. He says it takes lots of labor to do farming on rooftops and advices indolent to stay away. "Rooftop farming is the result of hard labor. Lazy one cannot do this," says Khatri adding the benefits of having rooftop garden, "You can always have fresh vegetable in your dish. It saves money, so it's economically beneficial as well."  

It's not only male members who have shown their interest in rooftop gardening. Hira Thapa Magar, Shanti Sharma and Tulashi Subedi are some other enthusiasts of rooftop gardening. Vegetables planted last season in Hira Thapa Magar's rooftop garden are already over. Now, some fresh vegetables are growing there. They all seem busy in their rooftop gardens after completing household works.

 Housewives and working women have become also interested in growing vegetables on their rooftops. 

"I had distributed some vegetables among my neighbors and relatives. Last year, there was strike during Constituent Assembly Election, but we had adequate vegetables in our garden so we didn't suffer any scarcity," recalls Subedi, a nursing teacher by profession. 

Rooftop gardening is getting popularity among residents of the Kathmandu valley. Altogether, 150 households of Subidhanagar, Chamati and Chagal of Kathmandu have grown vegetables on their rooftop. A normal training and a small lump of interest and dedication are needed to start rooftop gardening. In Kathmandu organizations working for environment conservation and protection – Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO), Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-Nepal (ISET) and Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) – jointly conduct three-day training with support from RUAF Foundation and UN Habitat. Technical knowledge, seeds and other materials are provided during training.

Experts believe, rooftop gardening can also cut down the emission of household garbage and can significantly contribute in keeping our environment clean and healthy.

Luna Kansakar, Officer at ENPHO says, "Our technicians visits to every household and provide technical assistance. During household visit, technicians also carry some plants or seeds with them, so they can immediately plant something."

Rooftop gardening is cheaper way of producing vegetables for family consumption. Vegetable can be planted in fish containers, old buckets, sacks, shopping bags, bottle, planter, clay-pot and other old boxes. Kitchen waste can be composted and used as organic fertilizer. Also, fluid waste from kitchen can be reused to water the plants. As the materials and manures can be used from household leftovers and unused items, rooftop gardening promotes 3R principle of environment protection– Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Khatri also reuses waste water from kitchen to irrigate plants and degradable waste as compost in his rooftop garden. He says that mixture of cow excreta and water is sprayed in the garden to protect plants from pests, while domestic wastes are used as fertilizers. 

Starting rooftop vegetable farming doesn't cost anything at all. Several organizations are providing trainings to households of Kathmandu. 

Rooftop gardening has equally flourished in Chamati area. People have various medicinal herbs like Fennel, Calamus, Rosemary, Stevia, Lemon grass, Thistles, Aloe Vera along with different vegetables in their gardens. Rooftops gardens belonging to native farmers like Kanchhi Maharjan, Nani Heera, Sanu Maya and Kamla give an impression of visiting vegetable farm.

Not only vegetables, they also have chili pepper, dried radish and gundruk on their rooftop. "We have grown some general medicinal herbs in our gardens. We don't have to buy medicines for minor illness as they can be cured from these herbs," says Kanchi Maharjan. Rooftop gardening has not only preserved traditional farming knowledge, it has also reduced environmental pollution immensely. 

"An individual dwelling in Kathmandu Valley generates about 300 gram wastes per day. In total, that makes weighty 475 metric ton waste in a single day," informs Rabinman Shrestha, chief of Environment Management Division (EMD) of KMC. On average, 63% of the generated waste is easily degradable, while about 15% can be recycled and reused. Only remaining 22% waste material is inert materials. Statistically, about 370 metric ton energy resource is squandered, estimates various studies. "Local can utilize their household waste as manures in their rooftop garden, which can decrease the waste generation in Kathmandu," opines Shrestha.

On the other hand, everyday about 600 metric ton vegetable is imported to different vegetable markets of Kathmandu valley like Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market. Also, unorganized and individual dealers are active in supplying vegetables in the capital. However, several fertilizers and harmful chemicals are used during production and storage of such vegetables, which is harmful for human health and environment.       

With rapid urbanization and availability of limited farm land, vegetable production has also decreased in Kathmandu Valley. Capital's dependency for food and vegetable has been growing day by day. As a result, sellers take advantage of even insignificant upheavals like strike, and hike the prices of daily consumed commodities like vegetables. Involved stakeholders opine that rooftop gardening can be an option to cut off consumer's reliance on local market for vegetables and also protect environment.        

"If we grow vegetables in our rooftop garden, we do not go to market for buying vegetables. We don't use any transportation, which discharge green house gases like methane and carbon dioxide responsible for global warming. In this way, we are saving money and our climate simultaneously," says Minakshi Kshetri, Researcher at ISET Nepal.

        

Local inhabitants are getting attracted towards rooftop gardening, as it provides fresh and healthy vegetables for daily consumption. Realizing the increment in public interest about rooftop farming, KMC is geared up to support rooftop gardening in 500 houses in Kathmandu. "Our first goal is to facilitate people of Kathmandu in waste management, which is also possible through rooftop farming.  We will be organizing such training for 500 households in this fiscal year," informs EMD Chief Shrestha.

If you also want to enjoy fresh and green vegetables saving money, contributing to environment protection, and utilizing your leisure time, then rooftop gardening is for you like Rana, Shrestha and many others. Before starting your own vegetable farm at house, you can pay visit to them for learn from them. "I welcome all who want to start rooftop garden and seek suggestion from me," says Rana.

After all, 'there is wish; there are vegetables in your rooftop'.