A sprawling vegetable farm sits atop seven floors of bureaucracy at the Government Secretariat, Annexe II, here.
Rows and rows of potted greens and a tiny plot of well-tended paddy have transformed the once stark and windswept terrace into an agriculture eyrie. A set of organically inclined Secretariat staff members is behind the green effort.
Since June, they have used their lunch recess to create a veritable farm that holds forth the promise of a bountiful harvest this Onam. Members of Green Leaf, an apolitical association of environmentally minded Secretariat staffers, have toiled under the scorching sun and in drenching rain to raise the garden that boasts more than 1,600 plants.
N. Suresh Kumar, who is the secretary of Green Leaf, said they had planted beans, okra, green chillies, amaranthus, brinjal, cucumber, and snake gourd (padavalanga).
Challenge
The biggest challenge was the whipping wind. The gardeners had to stake the plants and provide trellises for creepers. They cocooned the garden by erecting large boards and nets to keep the strong breeze at bay.
The officials said that plentiful sun and the relative absence of pests like snails were a huge advantage. They used light soil and a mix of dried manure and earth for planting, and a fermented blend of sardine and jaggery as a pesticide.
A welcome break
For many Green Leaf members, tending the roof-top garden was a welcome break from the tedium of governance, adherence to rules, and formalities. One described the experience as cathartic.
Some said they had discovered that they had a “green thumb,” a natural ability to grow and nurture plants. Green Leaf plans to sell the harvest to Secretariat staffers by the boxful and at lesser than market prices during Onam. T. Baiju is the secretary of the organisation.
