The feel of an agro-farm right in the midst of the hustle bustle of the city - this at best can describe the residence of radiologist and one of the oldest residents of Jubilee Hills, B. Rama Subba Raidu.
Located on Road No. 9 near Jubilee Hills Check Post, Raidu has allotted two-third of his 1500 sq yards land only for greenery and open space.
Constructed in 1983, this house is a far cry from other sprawling bungalows of the locality which are limited to lush green lawns or decorative plant varieties.
“I hail from an agriculture family in Anantapur where we owned more than 100 acres of farm land. That may be the reason why my thinking is different when it comes to choosing the plant varieties or maintaining the greenery,” says Mr. Raidu.
The open area surrounding the constructed house has many vegetable and fruit varieties in the form of well planned enclosures and pots. Some of them include coconut, neem, mango, guava, pomegranate, sweet lime, amla and custard apple.
Using the green house shelters, green leafy vegetables as well as vegetables like brinjal are also grown inside the compound.
There are also some unusual varieties of silk cotton, creepers and cacti which add to the beauty of the garden.
“To make sure that there is ample supply of water to reach all these plants I have installed eight pipelines at various places. So that the plants remain healthy, I use vermi-compost, neem cake and neem oil,” explains Raidu, who says there is visible decline in the yield and growth of the plants due to rising pollution levels in the area.
Raidu’s home is also an example of good living, with right use of space and sunlight.
Various Ashoka and palm trees planted on the periphery of the plot shield the house from direct sunlight, noise and also provide privacy.
Stepping inside the house, one is sure to be surprised with the ample ventilation.
“We do not switch on the light till late evening. This way we also end up conserving energy,” said Mr. Rayudu. The living room is designed in such a way that it has high ceiling with large ventilators to let in air and sunlight. There are metal canopies on either side of the house with various creepers so as to make the house more eco-friendly.
Admitting that he spends most part of the day either on his natural lawns or open varendah, Mr. Raidu says:
The maintenance of the place is not easy and for this reason there was a suggestion from family members to shift into a flat. But it gives me immense pleasure waking up to plants and trees surrounding the house and also the chirping birds. Living amidst nature also helps in improving physical and mental health to a great deal.
