When residents of Dream Apartments in Dwarka Sector 22 step out of their society, they are greeted by swaying leaves, chirping birds and pretty flowers. No rush of traffic, just a cheerful swathe of green. It’s a scene straight out of a fairytale.
But it’s no dream. It is the result of the concerted efforts of the society residents.
For years the footpath in front of the society lay barren, a dumping ground for garbage and a poop area for pet dogs. But about four years ago, residents decided they had had enough. The managing committee diligently went about converting this stretch into a mini green belt.
They planted trees and replanted the hedges. They even appointed two society gardeners to maintain it.
And now, four years on, residents are reaping the green benefits of their efforts.
“It’s quite a long stretch, and it was in a deplorable state,” said TC Batra, secretary of the society. “Now, not only is it the highlight of the area, but also a means to make the community aware of the need to promote greenery. We have even hung small placards from the trees, making people aware of the ills of pollution and smoking, and the importance of cleanliness.”
The belt now has trees such as banyan, peepal, neem, sheesham, pilkhan, pipri, amaltas and jamun, and flowers such as chandni and champa.
“It wasn’t easy when we started,” Batra added. “We initially tried to give the stretch a nice bamboo boundary but they weathered away after the initial bout of monsoon rains. Then we replaced them with steel ones fortified with concrete. We had to do most of the gardening work in the rainy season, sometimes working even on weekends.”
Now their efforts have paid off. Three cheers for Dream Apartments!
