In a bid to prevent garbage dumping in vacant lands across the city, residents associations have put forth a proposal to facilitate kitchen gardening in such plots with civic agencies handholding the associations through the course of harvesting fresh greens in various residential neighborhoods.
Owing to rising complaints about public health issues caused by garbage piles in vacant lands in various zones of the city, Chennai Corporation has started exploring the feasibility of maintaining the land and adding the cost of maintenance with the vacant land tax.
A section of residents’ welfare associations have proposed setting up kitchen gardens as a solution to the problem of garbage dumping in plots, after obtaining the consent of landowners who agree to participate in the drive to raise fresh vegetables.
Thendral Colony resident T.Rajarathinam said large plots of land that have remained vacant in various neighbourhoods could be utilised for raising fresh vegetables if the landowner gives consent to the proposal. “I have purchased two plots of vacant land as an investment in the added areas of the city. I am willing to set up a kitchen garden if the local body provides some kind of incentive and support. I am basically a farmer who happens to be a resident of Chennai,” he said.
Anna Nagar Malar Colony resident Ervadi Radhakrishnan said the proposal to grow vegetables in vacant plots of land in various layouts will be successful only after the database of land owners is ready. “Many of the landowners of vacant lands are unknown to the local residents,” he said.
AIADMK councillor J.John said residents will participate in the move to create kitchen gardens in vacant lands. “Many of the added areas of the city still have farmers who will not be reluctant to participate in kitchen gardening,” he said.
Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Associations president T.K.Shanmugham said legal issues should be discussed before setting up kitchen gardening in each layout where dumping of garbage remains a major civic issue. “The civic agencies could facilitate signing of an urban farming MoU with the landowner,” he said.
Geetha Ganesh, Secretary of AGS Colony RWA, Velachery West said: “Plot owners have to agree for a minimum period and should not interrupt asking for the plot for construction before the harvest. Electricity and water supply has to be arranged for watering the plants. Plot should be compounded so that stray cattle and dogs don’t mess the area and eat the plants. It is not possible for residents welfare associations to maintain all the plots in their area as it will involve time, labour and most importantly cost factor,” she said.
Former Anna University professor of urban engineering K.P.Subramaniam said: “ The rate of tax levied on vacant lands is only symbolic and is low. The vacant land tax may be used as a tool to discourage owners to keep their land vacant for speculative purposes and the rates may be increased. Further, the GCC already imposes a penalty on the vacant land owners, if the vacant lands become a source of danger to public health by way of dumping of garbage or due to inundation. In addition, given the skyrocketing of land value, owners may not be willing to hand over their property to resident associations to develop kitchen gardens.”
Chennai Corporation is planning to conduct a meeting with residents’ welfare associations in various zones to explore the feasibility of kitchen gardening as a solution to public health issues caused by vacant plots.
Published – May 28, 2025 12:48 am IST