Crime branch constable builds nursery with 600 varieties of trees and plants

Ulhas Parab replaced the tin roof on his one-storey home with a cemented structure, to build the nursery. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

A police constable with the Mumbai crime branch has converted the terrace of the Kandivli chawl, where he resides, into a green haven, comprising 600 varieties of plants and trees.

Ulhas Parab's 300 sqft nursery is home to several trees, as well as bonsai and cacti. He also grows chilies, tomatoes and brinjal. Currently posted with Unit XI of the crime branch, Parab first started work on transforming the terrace into a nursery eight years ago. Before this, he would plant trees in an open space in front of his residence in Sunder Nagar Chawl, Dahanukarwadi in Kandivli. "As I hail from the Konkan region, I have always been interested in agriculture and plantation. When I moved to Kandivli in 1989, and found an open space near my house, I decided to use it to pursue my hobby," he said. "But in 2009, after construction activity began in the open space, I had to look for another place, said Parab, who resides in a one-storey home in the chawl.

He then replaced the tin roof on his home with a cemented structure, so that he could build a terrace garden. Today, Pawar invests two hours daily on rearing his nursery. His two brothers, who live with him, also help him out with caring for the plants. His nursery includes a mango tree, which has already seen the first fruits of the season. Apart from this, he also has a chikoo tree - over 50 chikoos grew this year - and two to three types of cherry trees. "The nursery also has nearly 25 different types of flower trees and 12 varieties of cacti," said Pawar. Until now, he and his brothers have invested over '1 lakh on buying plants. He also orders rare plants online, and each cost him nothing less than '10,000, he says.

For fertilisers, Pawar uses home-made compost, made from waste generated at home. To get further knowledge, Pawar has started a WhatsApp group of like-minded people, who share tips on improving his nursery. Other residents from the chawl are also taking a leaf out of his book, and building small nurseries in their homes. "When I retire four years from now, I plan to start a commercial nursery of my own," he said.

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