Residents convert empty patches of land beside building into organic allotments to reduce their carbon footprint and to improve their diet and health.
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00:00Residents in Mahezna are turning vacant plots beside their building into organic allotments
00:07with the help of Wasil Properties and facilities management provider Emeril.
00:13Over 100 kg of carrots, cabbages and tomatoes were harvested on Tuesday from a 2 by 100
00:18meter plot beside the Wasil Oasis 2 community in Dubai.
00:22We want the tenant over here, whoever is living, to change their mind and think about the greenery
00:27which will affect the environment.
00:29It is for the tenant and for ourselves to think about the environment, to think about
00:33that we are able to plant trees, we can grow our needs.
00:37Nowadays you can see the people are looking for more organic and natural foods, they are
00:42more concerned about their health.
00:44So this is one thing like people are very much interested to get the organic vegetables.
00:49Instead of going outside, they are getting inside their community itself so they can
00:53see how it is growing and everything.
00:55So it is a good initiative and also instead of the same place we can make the community
01:01more green, so which will support to reduce the carbon footprint and also will support
01:05to reduce the global warming.
01:07This was the second harvest since the project began last summer and follows on from a 250
01:11kg haul of radishes, eggplants and chillies just three months ago.
01:15Okra and beetroot is also growing, with plans to add watermelons in time for Ramadan.
01:20The first harvesting we leave it to the tenant to come and collect.
01:26So they were very happy while they were collecting and they were impressed.
01:29Earlier it was that normal trees were there and now when we change it we take the challenge
01:34with the emerald and try to do the plantation in our complex to generate fruit and vegetables.
01:41Fruits is going to come, here is the vegetables.
01:43So the people were enjoying collecting and even they requested to have a space for themselves
01:49to plant their own vegetables in a specific area where we are planning to do that.
01:55No chemicals or pesticides are used in the cultivation of crops.
01:58Instead the soil is fertilized using organic food waste and water is recycled, making it
02:03fully sustainable.
02:04It is really wonderful, actually you know I am from Kerala, so you know about the Kerala
02:09situation, we are most interested in cultivation and when we shifted here in Dubai the life
02:15here is really different.
02:17Seeing this project, it's really great for the tenants as well as our kids because they
02:23don't know what is cultivation, what is organic food in practical.
02:26They used to see from the supermarkets.
02:28This inspired tenants gathering as well as the importance of cultivation.
02:32It is quite important because we do not use pesticides and all to cultivate these carrots
02:40and these are organic so it's very good for your health.
02:44Nowadays we are concentrating a lot on organic vegetables, so it's actually good that we
02:50have this growing in our community, so we are lucky.
02:57Residents are happy with the intervention and it has even inspired some to grow their
03:01own fruit and veg from their balconies.
03:03Ashley Hammond, Gulf News.