City-dwellers have been turning to rooftop gardening, with the aim of growing their own food to bring about mental satisfaction, secure a source of nutrition, and contribute to the family's good health.
According to experts, gardeners, and nursery owners, people—especially in cities—are looking for fresh and secure food. They are growing vegetables and fruits as a shield against contaminated and adulterated food. Nowadays, rooftop gardening is gaining popularity as awareness of organic farming increases, but the number of rooftop gardens is low compared to its potential, according to experts.
Amena Akter, an inhabitant of Shewrapara, Mirpur, has covered her roof with flowers and fruit plants, and she is also using her veranda for flowers. Amena said: “We cannot trust the safety of the vegetables and fruits that are bought at the market because of formalin, and various insecticides. We grow our garden so that our children can eat fresh and chemical-free food.”
Due to a scarcity of land in the city, city-dwellers are growing vegetable and fruits on their rooftops. The number of rooftop gardens is increasing, which is also helping the environment and climate.
Dr SM Mukhtadir, a house owner at Rajabazar, said: “In my childhood at the village, I grew vegetables on our land. I saw only greenery wherever I looked. Here I have no land to cultivate, but I have the roof on my own home in Dhaka. I like the green in my old age and want to grow chemical-free fruits and vegetables for my family members. For this reason, I am interested in gardening, even though gardening is my hobby and I have no need to make money from the garden.”
Nursery owners said there is a shift in gardening from flowers to fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, their customers are looking for organic fertilizer.
Md Habib Panna, proprietor of Sukriya Nursery in Mirpur’s Shewrapara, said: "Once upon a time, people were more interested in buying flower plants, but now the trend is shifting. People are increasingly buying fruits and vegetable plants and seeds from us. People are asking for plants that do not require the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.”
Tomato, brinjal, Indian spinach, okra, chili , gourd, red amaranth, beans, cabbage, and cauliflower are the common vegetable items grown on rooftop gardens; while mango, guava, pomegranate, hog-plum, jujubee, papaya, wax apple, malta, sapota, lemon, orange, are the popular fruit crops, said nursery owners.
Growing unadulterated produce
Rony Ahmed, manager of BAF Shahin Nuesery, said: “Customers want organic fertilizer for their plants. First they search for kecho fertilizer, then compost fertilizer for their garden. There are several companies producing compost fertilizer because of the market demand. Some chemical fertilizer is needed for certain big trees to grow properly, like mango.”
Nurul Amin, Manager of Sabuj Bangla Nursery at Agargaon, said: “More people are interested in rooftop gardening than before. All vegetable-growers want organic fertilizer. No-one uses chemical fertilizer to grow vegetables in their rooftop gardens.”
There is no concrete data on rooftop gardening. The Green Savers Association conducted a study and found that in Dhaka, roof space is 1,800,000 katha of which 810,000 katha is usable.
Ahsan Rony of Green Savers Association said: “Of the total roof space in Dhaka, 3% has a garden at present. We have the possibility to make the city greener by using more of the rooftop space.
“Organic growing gives mental satisfaction, and the availability of nurseries, equipment, seeds and services—including total maintenance, nursing packages, and even clinics for the plants—is hastening the rise of rooftop gardening in Dhaka,” he added.
This rise has also created demand for soil, drums, fertilizer, seeds and other accessories. This is why a huge number of nurseries and other related accessory service providers have come in action. They are also providing services via digital platforms, offering accessories and gardening packages online.
They have small, medium, and big packages. These packages provide everything that is needed for a garden, including consultations, design and planning services, gardening preparation, soil, fertilizer, pots, plants, seeds, primary accessories, gardeners, and more.
A study found that about 25 vegetables and 20 fruit varieties are grown in both the Dhaka and Chittagong's city areas.
The majority, 61.6%, of rooftop gardeners, produced tomato followed by: brinjal at 61%, Indian spinach at 47.8%, okra at 46.8%, chili at 45.3%, and gourd at 25% in Dhaka. In Chittagong, the majority, 57%, of rooftop gardeners, produced chili; followed by: brinjal at 48%, Indian spinach at 35.7%, gourd at 35.6%, okra at 31%, tomato at 23.7%, red amaranth at 23%, beans at 18%, and cabbage and cauliflower each at 7%.
In the case of fruit, 75%, of rooftop gardeners grew mango followed by lemon at 72.8%, guava at 72.8%, pomegranate at 38.5%, hog-plum at 26.5%, jujubee at 24.5%, papaya at 24%, wax apple at 13%, malta at 12.8%, and sapota at 10.5% in Dhaka.
In Chittagong, 69%, of gardeners grew mango followed by: guava at 74.5%, lemon at 64%, hog-plum at 42.3%, pomegranate at 33.5%, jujubee at 29%, orange or malta at 22%, wax apple at 20%, sapota at 13% and papaya at 11%.
Contaminated and adulterated food causes various non-communicable diseases including cancer and kidney disease. The World Health Organization has recognized non-communicable diseases as one of 10 health threats in 2019.
