While the MG Road boulevard boasts of many elements all along its stretch, which for all obvious reasons attract visitors, the 550 metre green zone has more to it than meets the eye.
With enough concern been showered upon the boulevard in terms of creative space using recycled material and concern for environment, depicted artistically, the stretch has also used a an innovative 'homemade' idea to ensure that the greens are properly water fed.
And, they did not have to go far. BMRCL's general manager - finance, U A Vasanth Rao had an implementable idea ready with him. "My wife is a doctor and is always seen handling medical equipment. One day, she brought home some empty bottles. These are mainly used during dialysis for kidney patients and are meant to be discarded. This was around the time, when we were planning a 20-day trip out of Bangalore. We were worried about keeping our plants at home watered," said Vasanth Rao.
That’s when an idea struck him and he tried the drip irrigation process with the bottles, which could hold at least three litres of water. "With the help of control drips, we managed to maintain ten drops of water per minute. Believe me, my plants were watered for all the 20 days," he said.
The recycled material which was a hit at Vasanth Rao's residence was later implemented at the urban space of the Boulevard.
"I don't wish to copyright my idea. It is not a one man show but a result of team work. While I came up with the idea, Surekha, the curator and her team, who manage the entire stretch of the Boulevard, added beauty to the concept. I am glad to have contributed something to the environment and towards conservation of water," said Vasanth. Interestingly, the recycled water process is now being made popular among many households in the city. "People who visited the Boulevard found the concept very interesting. The idea spread and I hear that it has worked in many homes," he said.