Ashim Sarkar lives in Mohakhali in the capital. He has shown his deep love for plants through a remarkable rooftop garden, turning his roof into a green epic to find closeness with nature amid the concrete of city life. His rooftop garden is not just a personal hobby but also an eco-friendly initiative for the city.

"I am actually a tenant, not the landlord. But through this garden I express my love for plants. Only trees and people know how important trees are for people. Trees take in our carbon dioxide and give oxygen. I was finding it hard to get used to the city environment, so I started a rooftop garden," he said.

Because the landlord is elderly, he does not garden himself, but he has allowed Ashim to. "The landlord likes plants too, so he gave me permission to grow them, and he enjoys them himself," Ashim said.

Ashim's rooftop garden has medicinal, fruit and timber trees as well as vegetables. There are custard apple, lemon, karamcha, mango, star fruit and amla, and among vegetables drumstick, bitter gourd, taro leaves, Malabar spinach, ivy gourd, spinach and culantro. Medicinal plants include neem, aloe vera and henna, and flowers include beli, hasnahena, rangan, kathgolap, nayantara and grass flowers. These plants meet his family's food needs and even add to the joy of sharing with neighbours.

Ashim has not only shown love for plants; he also keeps birds. "Birdsong gives me great joy. In the morning I wake to the calls of doves, pigeons and budgerigars, which is very enjoyable. To help keep nature in balance, I release some birds from time to time so that others can also hear their sweet calls," he said.

Before his child was born, Ashim had decided to give the child a good environment. "Now my child plays every morning with the flowers, fruit and leaves of the plants. There is no addiction to TV or mobile phones. That is a big message for society," he said. He added that if such natural surroundings could be created in other homes in the city, children would benefit greatly, physically and mentally.

Ashim believes the current generation is aware of plants, and that tree planting and wall art are important for making the city beautiful. "Tree planting and wall art have made our city beautiful. If more trees could be planted in the city and more beautiful paintings drawn on the walls, our country would become more naturally beautiful and it would help with climate change," he said.

He has not limited himself to his rooftop garden but has also planted many trees along roads. "The city's temperature is rising day by day. If we plant trees on every road in the city, the temperature will come down at least a little. The city corporation planted some trees earlier, but most are close to dying from neglect. So I have planted many trees on the divider from Mohakhali to Gulshan," Ashim said.

On his future plans, Ashim said: "My rooftop garden is small. So whenever I get time, wherever I find soil, I will plant trees. City or village, at home or abroad, wherever possible, I will plant trees. Planting trees has become a passion for me. My love for trees is so deep that it cannot be put into words."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.