Kathmandu, September 23

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City is planning to provide rooftop and terrace farming training to 150 households in the capital in a bid to promote urban greenery.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City said selected households of Bhimsenkola, Sinamangal, Buddhanagar, Kalanki, Teku and Dallu will be given orientation and training on growing vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers and fruits on rooftops and terraces.

The households would be trained by a team of experts from the Environment Management Department of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City as per the ‘Rooftop Farming Training Manual’ prepared by the UN-Habitat and resource centers on urban agriculture and food security.

Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of Environment Management Division at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, said households will be given training on vermicompost preparation, waste segregation, nursery management, rain-water harvesting, and plant pruning and protection measures.

“Compost bins, pickaxes, scissors, watering can and other necessary tools for the gardening will be provided for Rs 1,500 to each household during the training,” said Shrestha.

Earlier in March, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City had said rooftop farming would be introduced to 700 households. But the municipal authority has now decided to train only 150 households as most Valley residents are not interested in the training after the April 25 earthquake damaged their buildings.

In 2014, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City had provided rooftop farming training to over 500 households. It had allocated a budget of Rs 3 million for rooftop gardening in the last fiscal year.

Rudra Singh Tamang, chief executive officer at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, said no budget has been allocated for rooftop farming this fiscal. “Rooftop farming is not possible in damaged and cracked buildings,” he said.