a day ago
Former rubbish site now a thriving garden in Prai
Perai MPKK and Taman Perai Utama residents frequently collect garden waste to be used as natural compost for the community garden located in the village.
Turning a former rubbish dumpsite in Prai, Penang, into a pesticide-free, flourishing urban garden was no easy task for Perai Village Community Management Council (MPKKP) chairman S. Sri Sangar.
However, with funding from Think City and All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM)-Sustainable Development Goals, the 0.2ha site belonging to Seberang Perai City Council was turned into a community garden.
Sri Sangar named the garden Kebun Rasa Sayang to represent a sense of love, affection and community togetherness.
Residents from nearby Taman Perai Utama, especially the B40 group, can now enjoy the garden's harvest free of charge.
'With the help of Cultivate Central's Urban Permaculture team in Penang, we successfully regenerated and transformed the space into a thriving food garden,' said Sri Sangar.
'Work began in January, and included soil rehabilitation for long-term health, community workshops, and careful plant selection.
'It took two to three weeks just to repair the soil, and we only started planting the first batch of plants about a month later.
'MPKKP members together with the local residents planted 32 types of vegetables, fruits and herbs.
'The land was previously filled with rubble, construction debris, discarded waste and overgrown weeds,' he said.
He added that harvesting began between late April and June.
Sri Sangar said weekly harvests yielded about 30kg to 40kg of vegetables, which were distributed to residents.
Perai MPKK will soon begin the second phase of replanting.
'We have our own compost station. Compost is made using bundles of flower stems collected from nearby florists and garden waste such as dried leaves.
'Our plants are not sprayed with any chemical pesticides.
'We only use neem oil on affected plants when necessary,' said Sri Sangar.
'We are not completely free of pests, but that is okay.
'A healthy ecosystem includes the presence of some pests.
'However, we ensure that the pest issue is under control before it becomes a serious problem,' he added. — By K. KASTURI DEWI
