Sometimes one needs to walk the talk. And that’s what the seniors of this society did — they teamed up to convert a barren piece of land into a beautiful organic vegetable garden.
Taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan forward, and setting up an example for the younger generation, senior citizens of South City II in Gurgaon’s Sector 50 have converted a barren piece of land inside the township into a beautiful vegetable garden.
About 20 senior citizens, in the age group of 60-75 years, had initially contributed about Rs 9 lakh for this 1.5-acre land, and now are spending Rs 25,000 every month for its maintenance.
“Till last year, this land was a breeding ground for rats and snakes — and was full of weeds. We felt really bad how this area was turning into a dump. We worked night and day to turn the land into what it is today. Everybody involved has given their time and skill to this initiative,” Krishan Pal Yadav, a retired central government official, told City Spidey.
Yadav added, “In fact, we are following agronomic practices while growing our vegetables. The contentment is indescribable.”
The land now has beautiful seasonal flowers and various organic vegetables and fruits, such as bitter gourd, bottle gourd, mint, cucumber, ladies' finger, brinjal, mangoes, lemons and even sugarcane.
Since there is only one gardener to look after the entire park, senior citizens themselves clean it up, plant saplings, water them and even pick up the spade. The vegetables grown here are free for residents and visitors.
Ved Yadav, a volunteer and a resident of South City II, said, “Earlier, the RWA used to celebrate Republic Day in the club patio, but this year, the celebration took place in this park. That in itself is a big appreciation for the hard work put in by us.”
Though the seniors are putting in their best efforts, they want the RWA to employ two more gardeners.
