Thane municipal corporation launches organic farming project
Believed to be the first initiative of its kind by any urban local body in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region—and possibly the state—the project is the brainchild of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He proposed the idea during the Vrikshavalli exhibition held in Feb this year, encouraging the corporation to set an example in sustainable urban farming.
The project was initiated in April by TMC's gardens department under the supervision of Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao.
"A vacant plot was identified in Patlipada, and a crop plan was prepared based on the region's soil and climate," a civic official said. "Vegetables such as brinjal, okra, tomato, cabbage, sweet potato, and yam are being cultivated, along with leafy amaranthus and fenugreek. There are also designated plots for rice and gram cultivation.
"
Fruit-bearing trees such as mango, lemon, banana, fig, custard apple, coconut, and pomegranate have also been planted.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Do you have a mouse? Play this for 1 minute and see why everyone is crazy about it.
Panzer.Quest
Play Game
Undo
An artificial pond has been created on the premises, with water lilies and fish already introduced. While most plants are still growing, officials expect the space to develop into a lush urban farm in the coming months. Future additions include poultry and livestock to make the site more interactive and educational.
You Can Also Check:
Mumbai AQI
|
Weather in Mumbai
|
Bank Holidays in Mumbai
|
Public Holidays in Mumbai
"The project aims to promote chemical-free farming and encourage residents to grow food in balconies, terraces, or small backyard spaces. Many urban residents have little or no knowledge of farming. This project will offer them hands-on exposure to cultivation, composting, and water management," said an official. All produce will be donated to orphanages and old-age homes. The farm is open to the public Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 5pm.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Canada project reclaims 'foul' industrial area to contain floods
An aerial view of the Don River in the newly unveiled Biidaasige Park, part of Toronto's Port Lands Flood Protection Project, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (AFP photo) TORONTO: The spur to build Toronto's billion-dollar-plus flood prevention project dates back to a devastating hurricane in 1954, but planners say its urgency was reinforced by the recent tragic flooding in Texas. The Port Lands project has, in part, reversed a consequence of industrialization by reconnecting Lake Ontario with the Don River, more than a century after they were severed to create an industrial area. Chris Glaisek, chief planning officer at the municipal body Waterfront Toronto, said the idea was to "heal the land from the way it was repurposed 100 years ago," with a focus on "flood protection and naturalization." The complex project -- one of the largest in Toronto's history with a cost of Can$1.4 billion (US$1 billion) -- included digging a river valley and the creation of two new river outlets, with wetlands and marshes to absorb excess water during extreme storms. The mouth of the Don River was once the Great Lakes system's largest fresh water marsh, a rich habitat and vital food resource for Indigenous people before colonization. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock You Reportingly Undo But Toronto, like many North American cities, saw industrial growth in the late 19th Century. Much of the marsh was drained and filled in to make room for a port industrial area, while the river was re-routed into a man-made channel. The Port Lands never thrived as an industrial area, leaving a vast stretch of eastern downtown under-used, and the Don River became polluted. "It was really dirty, it was foul, it was terrible," Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said recently. - Hurricane Hazel - On October 15, 1954 Hurricane Hazel hit Toronto, after hammering parts of the Caribbean and eastern United States. It killed 81 people across the Greater Toronto Area and served as catalyst for the city to get serious about flood protection. Hazel flooded the Humber River, in western Toronto, but Glaisek said "it was understood at the time that that same amount of rainfall, had it landed on the (eastern) Don, would have done a comparable amount of damage." He called Hazel an initial "impetus" to re-naturalize the Port Lands, but rising awareness over the past two decades about the causal link between climate change and extreme floods helped advance the project. - 'Duty bound' - To reclaim the Port Lands, Toronto partnered with the US-based landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, which has worked on the Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Laura Solano, the lead designer, said the project was "duty bound to address catastrophic flooding," but stressed it offered "much more." Because the area has been reformed to cope with flood waters, parts have been declared safe for new housing -- an urgent need in the expensive metropolis. There is also a new park, trails and people can canoe or kayak through the rehabilitated Don. Solano stressed Toronto's initial decision to alter the area was consistent with the times, when North American cities moved to "industrialize their raise their economic position." But now, "every city is looking to reclaim their waters," she told AFP. The Port Lands "shows the world that it's possible to fix the past and turn deficit and remnant industrial lands into living and breathing infrastructure." - 'The river is going to flood' - As Glaisek described the project, he stood on a bank that would, by design, be under water during a major storm. "It's all planned so that it can flood, the water level can rise, the river can get about three, maybe four times wider than it is now, absorb all of that volume of water," he said. "When the storm event subsides, it will shrink back down to this." It's a planning approach that recognizes "we're seeing more and more of these events." "Like in Texas, you see very tragic outcomes when you haven't really tried to plan for nature," he told AFP, referring to flash floods in early July that killed at least 135 people. He urged planners to "reposition" their relationship to nature and ditch the mindset that "humans (can) control everything." "Let's acknowledge the river is going to flood. Let's build the space for it." bs/des
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Irrigation dept reports Kirari Suleman Nagar drain receives excess drainage, plans upgrade to prevent waterlogging
New Delhi: The irrigation and flood control department (IFC) has submitted a report to National Green Tribunal, explaining that the 7.8-km Kirari Suleman Nagar drain is receiving more drainage than its carrying capacity. The drain starts at Rohini Sector 20-21 and passes through densely populated, unauthorised and waterlogging-sensitive areas of Kirari and Mundka. The reply followed the Times of India's Nov 2024 report titled "How this 'river' of filth claimed teen's life", after a 13-year-old boy drowned in the drain near Rajendra Nagar Extension. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi "The drain in question is the Kirari Suleman Nagar (KSN) drain. It passes through densely populated, rapidly developing unauthorised colonies and Kirari and Mundka Assembly constituencies, which are waterlogging-prone," the reply dated July 29 said. The department said that over Rs 58 crore was sanctioned to redesign the drain in the Kirari area to resolve the waterlogging problem. The irrigation department also said that due to the rapid increase of unauthorised colonies in Kirari and Mundka, the drain also carries wastewater in addition to stormwater, including sewage and household waste discarded by residents. "The existing culverts at KSN drain create obstructions due to the massive discharge beyond the capacity of the drain, resulting in water touching soffit/sill levels of the existing culverts, creating afflux in upstream portions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo Therefore, to attain smooth flow in the drain, a scheme for the upgrade of existing culverts on KSN Drain as a comprehensive measure has been prepared and placed before TAC for consideration and approval. The scheme amounting to Rs 629.9 lakh has been approved. The schemes envisage the demolishing and reconstruction of culverts resulting in the obstruction of free flow of the drain," the irrigation department said. It also added that the department has taken up the maintenance and removal of floating material, garbage and obstruction through tender, with proper removal of silt, cow excreta, MSW, and floating materials from the bank, to ensure smooth flow in the drain throughout the year. Meanwhile, in a separate submission on the same matter, the sub-divisional magistrate, Punjabi Bagh, West district, submitted that an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh was sanctioned for the family of the deceased.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
3,500-year-old Egyptian ‘Book of the Dead' discovered in untouched tomb
Representative Image- Book of the dead Egypt has always been a place surrounded by myths and legendary tales, with its beliefs about the afterlife, elaborate burial rituals, and iconic artifacts found through archaeological evidence during excavations. Recently, archaeologists working in central Egypt uncovered a burial ground from the New Kingdom era, dating roughly 3,500 years ago, that seems to carry secrets yet untold. A rare papyrus was found in a New Kingdom cemetery In Egypt's Tuna al‑Gebel or Al‑Ghuraifa region, archaeologists discovered a cemetery dating to the New Kingdom, which was circa 1550–1070 BC. Among the grave findings was a papyrus scroll, estimated at 43 to 49 feet long, and it is believed to contain part of the Book of the Dead. This is the first complete papyrus found in that area and is described as being in notably good condition, according to Mustafa Waziri, secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, who said this in a translated Arabic statement from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Why is this scroll important? Finding pieces or shorter versions of the Book of the Dead isn't unusual for archaeologists, but discovering a full scroll still resting in the same grave where it was buried thousands of years ago? That's very rare. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Rates Undo According to Live Science, Foy Scalf, an Egyptologist from the University of Chicago, said this detail is especially important because it's not often you find one in its original burial spot. Lara Weiss from the Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum also praised the discovery, calling it 'certainly a great and interesting find,' especially because of how long and well-preserved the scroll is. Representative Image- Book of the dead What is the Book of the Dead The Book of the Dead, more commonly called The Book of Going Forth by Day, was like a spiritual guidebook for ancient Egyptians. It was filled with spells, prayers, and pictures meant to help someone's soul find its way through the afterlife, to safely reach Osiris, the god of the dead, and join him in the next world. Egyptians started using these texts around 1550 BC, during the New Kingdom, and they stayed important for centuries, even into the Ptolemaic period, long after. Other important discoveries at the site Representative Image- Book of the dead The site had more than just the scroll. Archaeologists also found mummies within wooden and stone coffins, over 25,000 ushabti statues or Mini servant statues buried to help in the afterlife, canopic jars, and thousands of amulets and ornaments. Among them was also the coffin of Ta‑de‑Isa, daughter of a high priest, accompanied by her canopic vessels and complete ushabti set. What this could reveal about ancient Egypt Because Book of the Dead manuscripts evolved over centuries and varied from one copy to another, this scroll could provide fresh information about funerary beliefs, variations in spells, and personal expressions of faith.
