| A.R.S.Vadyar, Managing Director, Yasoram Builders, Kochi |
Planting a coconut tree on top of one’s terrace is a task best left to the practitioners of civil engineering. No wonder A.R.S.Vadyar, managing director of Yasoram Builders, Kochi, has the gumption to do such an experiment on the terrace of his residence-cum-office complex at Convent Road.
And not only coconut, the other fruit bearing trees on the 2000 sq.ft. terrace garden include mango, papaya, guava, gooseberry tree, lemon tree etc. What started in 2002 as a vegetable garden has now other items like elephant yam, tubers etc as well as pepper, turmeric etc. Recently the cultivation of medicinal plants too has commenced in the high-rise garden.
Vadyar is assisted in the venture by his wife Jayasree, a retired faculty from Kerala Agricultural University as well as his daughters and son-in-law.
The family enters the ‘health club’ on the terrace at 5 o’clock in the morning and does the farming chores till 7 am. In addition to the benefits of early morning exercise, they benefit from farm-fresh and chemical-free vegetables too.
There is even a garden with a lotus pond in the middle of the cultivation for family get together.
In addition to showing the love of farming with his example, Vadyar tries to promote the same. The Yasoram Trust’s ‘Haritha Vidyalayam’ programme provides financial assistance of Rs.1000 and technical help for growing vegetables in 20 selected schools of Kochi. Another programme, aimed at providing drinking water and irrigation to villages is being implemented at Kumbalam Panchayat with CAPART assistance.
Vadyar has no doubt about the stability of his building. According to him, it is better to align the ‘load’ of the plantation along the beams and walls of the building.
Courtesy:
T.K.Sunil Kumar (text), Lean Tobiyas (photo), Karshakasree, January, 2006
Contributed by: Administrator
