Not even skin deep : City of faux flowers
Experts say dwellers need clean air more than dusty, fake flowers
Experts say dwellers need clean air more than dusty, fake flowers. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD JAVAID/THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE
PESHAWAR:
Artificial flower-bearing plants made of cloth and other synthetic material, make Peshawar instantly beautiful. However, they do not help build an ecologically sustainable environment in the city. Horticulturists criticised the new beautification plan when it comes to minimising pollution.
The K-P government approved an Uplift and Beautification Programme, which includes various projects to make the city look more beautiful and appealing to locals and tourists.
CM Pervez Khattak reportedly said Peshawar was known as the city of flowers. Khattak intends to restore the city to its former glory at all costs. Beautification projects were initiated in 2014 with roadsides, flyovers and parks being the primary focus for the administration.
Pots containing artificial plants and flowers were placed in iron frames that were installed along the flyovers. Locals admired view while driving along the flyover until pollution and dirt diminished their beauty. “This is when we discovered that the plants were not natural. They were just showpieces to make the city look better,” said a local. He added Peshawar was known as the city of flowers, not artificial ones.
An official of Peshawar Development Authority Ikramullah, who supervised the project, said K-P was not the first province to make use of this beautification tactic. “This has been carried out in the federal capital, Rawalpindi and Lahore,” he added. Such artificial plants with flowers have been put on display through metro routes in Rawalpindi and Lahore. “From a budgeting point-of-view, this is a cost-friendly solution to the matter at hand,” said Ikramullah. He pointed out that natural ornamental plants along the flyover wall were difficult to maintain at such an altitude. “We used natural plants in locations where maintenance will not be an issue for the administration.”
Another official privy to the matter reported horticulturists were not consulted prior to starting the project. “If they had been consulted, the city could look more beautiful and be environment friendly,” he said. Professor of horticulture and ornamental plant expert Dr Imran Ahmad, said the beautification provides no benefit to city dwellers or tourists. “Projects should be designed according to the environmental conditions and requirements of the city concerned,” he said.
“Peshawar cannot afford plants made of cloth. The polluted air within the city needs maximum amounts of plants and trees to absorb the poisonous gases emitted by vehicles,” added Ahmad, explaining the gaps in the initiative. The expert also commented on the administration’s reasons for not using ornamental plants. “In this age of technology, it is a lame excuse that flowers and plants cannot be watered at high altitudes,” said Ahmad. He stressed there are a number of irrigation systems which can be used for this purpose.
Ahmad described a number of ornamental plants which survive and thrive on very little water. Thus, the maintenance costs and efforts for the administration will be much lower than the current venture. He suggested that the government would benefit from a separate nursery to maintain and propagate specific plants for the city.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2015.
Artificial flower-bearing plants made of cloth and other synthetic material, make Peshawar instantly beautiful. However, they do not help build an ecologically sustainable environment in the city. Horticulturists criticised the new beautification plan when it comes to minimising pollution.
The K-P government approved an Uplift and Beautification Programme, which includes various projects to make the city look more beautiful and appealing to locals and tourists.
CM Pervez Khattak reportedly said Peshawar was known as the city of flowers. Khattak intends to restore the city to its former glory at all costs. Beautification projects were initiated in 2014 with roadsides, flyovers and parks being the primary focus for the administration.
Pots containing artificial plants and flowers were placed in iron frames that were installed along the flyovers. Locals admired view while driving along the flyover until pollution and dirt diminished their beauty. “This is when we discovered that the plants were not natural. They were just showpieces to make the city look better,” said a local. He added Peshawar was known as the city of flowers, not artificial ones.
An official of Peshawar Development Authority Ikramullah, who supervised the project, said K-P was not the first province to make use of this beautification tactic. “This has been carried out in the federal capital, Rawalpindi and Lahore,” he added. Such artificial plants with flowers have been put on display through metro routes in Rawalpindi and Lahore. “From a budgeting point-of-view, this is a cost-friendly solution to the matter at hand,” said Ikramullah. He pointed out that natural ornamental plants along the flyover wall were difficult to maintain at such an altitude. “We used natural plants in locations where maintenance will not be an issue for the administration.”
Another official privy to the matter reported horticulturists were not consulted prior to starting the project. “If they had been consulted, the city could look more beautiful and be environment friendly,” he said. Professor of horticulture and ornamental plant expert Dr Imran Ahmad, said the beautification provides no benefit to city dwellers or tourists. “Projects should be designed according to the environmental conditions and requirements of the city concerned,” he said.
“Peshawar cannot afford plants made of cloth. The polluted air within the city needs maximum amounts of plants and trees to absorb the poisonous gases emitted by vehicles,” added Ahmad, explaining the gaps in the initiative. The expert also commented on the administration’s reasons for not using ornamental plants. “In this age of technology, it is a lame excuse that flowers and plants cannot be watered at high altitudes,” said Ahmad. He stressed there are a number of irrigation systems which can be used for this purpose.
Ahmad described a number of ornamental plants which survive and thrive on very little water. Thus, the maintenance costs and efforts for the administration will be much lower than the current venture. He suggested that the government would benefit from a separate nursery to maintain and propagate specific plants for the city.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2015.