Housing Complexes Adopt Green Living Amid Concrete Jungle
Kolkata: Sherwood Estate, one of the leafiest residential complexes in Narendrapur, earned the distinction of being exceptionally tree-friendly with its residents achieving the almost-impossible in this concrete jungle—combating the ‘heat island effect’ during peak summer. Residents of another housing complex, Diamond City West near Sarsuna, are doing their bit of preserving the environment by engaging children in organic vegetable farming and reusing treated wastewater from its sewage treatment plant.
Urban sprawl has transformed Narendrapur into a congested satellite township, dominated by vertical growth. “But developers of our complex were judicious enough to preserve most of the old trees, giving us unparalleled greenery,” said Bedantika Lahiri, a member of Sherwood’s garden subcommittee. Most trees are of indigenous species, and the community ensures nearly 100% survival of new saplings. Sherwood Estate has also taken significant steps towards promoting sustainability. The residents’ welfare association has transplanted most of the trees uprooted in cyclones Amphan and Dana. “We are blessed with birds of myriad species. Each tree, due to its age and canopy, supports rich biodiversity,” said Debojyoti Sarmacharya, secretary of Sherwood’s RWA. The green surroundings spares residents the unbearable heat even in peak summer, when the rest of the city has to swelter.
If Sherwood exemplifies green living, Diamond City West strikes a balance between urban development and open spaces. “Our developers realised that open spaces would enhance the property’s value. Our children nurture vegetable gardens, and we’re also exploring the feasibility of vertical gardening. The water body here supports biodiversity,” said Siddheswar Ghosh, secretary of the residents’ welfare association of Diamond City West.
The complex’s sustainability efforts include a robust wastewater management system. “Our sewage treatment plant processes 3 lakh litres of sewage daily. In the first phase, treated water is used for recharging the groundwater table, watering plants and washing cars. In the second phase, we plan to utilise it for flushing and cleaning via a separate pipeline. We’re also considering water meters and awards for responsible water usage,’ said Alak Majumdar, a committee member of the residents’ welfare association.
Sherwood residents emphasise waste segregation at the source and its responsible disposal. “We’re setting up a community composting pit to handle kitchen waste and leaves, producing manure that can replace chemical fertilisers,” said Sarmacharya. “We dispose of e-waste through a particular handler.”
Both Sherwood and Diamond City West are exploring rainwater harvesting and rooftop solar energy systems. “We recognise their importance, but they require significant investment. Moreover the return on investment for solar power in Bengal is longer compared to that in other states. We hope the govt introduces better policies,” said a resident. The view seemed to be shared by people living in both the complexes, who also promised to be more sustainable in the Green Kolkata 2.0 campaign next year.
“We did things in our way, without measuring them in the sustainability yardstick. It is great to have expert views on our measures,” another resident said.
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