Local councils should be clear on their policies and remember that inclusivity is the critical element for a happy and sustainable community
30 COLUMN
ESG | JULY-AUGUST , 2023
All starts within the community
Local councils should be clear on their policies and remember that inclusivity is the critical element for a happy and sustainable community
BY THE GREEN DUDE
DURING my morning cycle ride in my hilly neighbourhood , I was shocked to find that the lush fruit trees planted by a few residents over the last 15 years were all chopped off by the local council .
Yes , the site is now bare . Gone are the shady trees which joggers and walkers used to rest under , but more importantly , the fruit trees like bananas , mangoes , mangosteens , guavas , rambutans and papayas were all gone . We were all looking forward to the rambutans and pulasan ripening this season .
The hard work for more than a decade by the residents of Taman Bukit Utama in Bukit Antarabangsa was destroyed by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council ( MPAJ ).
What is wrong with these people ? On the one hand , they have been encouraging the community to participate in community gardens by planting trees and fruit trees around the housing area ; on the other hand , they are destroying them .
Groups of people always take time to indulge in this healthy pastime while beautifying and greening the environment . Some , like Peter , spend their time and money to give back to nature and whoever wants a taste of the fruits when the season comes .
So many of God ’ s creatures , from worms to birds , squirrels and even the small family of monkeys , will have their daily food rations fulfilled daily . Trees and plants contribute to the ecosystem , which , as we are all aware , helps to preserve and reduce the impact of climate change and global warming .
Related to this issue is food security . Now , we even have the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security , which clearly emphasises the importance
Urban farming in the neighbourhood .
BEFORE - the trees before being chopped down .
AFTER 15-year-old fruit trees gone within hours .
A lush fruit garden . Ciku trees .
of this issue . There are many garden patches in the various residential units in Bukit Antarabangsa , where community gardening is practised .
There are also several websites discussing how to start the project . All these are important to encourage selfsufficiency in our food needs and security by planting vegetables and fruit trees within our small garden or the vacant green areas within the housing areas .
LOCAL COUNCILS SHOULD SERVE THE PEOPLE
In response to my enquiries , my friend , a former local councillor , called me and confirmed that he had protested against cutting down all the trees , which the council claimed was due to complaints from the residents about monkeys entering their houses because of the trees .
It seems a feeble excuse as in my condominium nearby , monkeys do not enter our units because they have enough leaves and fruits to fulfil their daily needs . I will not be surprised if the monkeys start raiding their houses now that the trees are gone .
The local council should be clear on what the policies are for the benefit of the residents . Inclusivity is key to a happy and sustainable community in this MADANI government . It is so easy to destroy , especially one that involves agriculture and gardening as it takes time and years of hard work and nurturing to succeed .
They seem not to understand patience and hard work , and we always hear of drastic action against people who try to do good things - whether in agriculture or animal protection . Shooting dogs is one of them .
Many decades ago , one of our Prime Ministers launched the Buku Hijau campaign to fight inflation when greens prices were rising . Today , the same concept to fight inflation has an added element – food security . No matter what name you call it , urban gardening positively impacts the economy and the environment .
Besides that , new technologies are being introduced to make it a success . Four standard urban farming technologies are being used . They include aquaponics , aeroponics , hydroponics and vertical farming .
Briefly , aquaponics is a food production system that couples aquaculture ( raising aquatic animals such as fish , crayfish , snails or prawns in tanks ) with hydroponics ( cultivating plants in water ), whereby the nutrient-rich aquaculture water is fed hydroponically grown plants .
Aeroponics is growing plants in the air or mist environment without soil or an aggregate medium . It is a subset
of hydroponics since water is used in aeroponics to transmit nutrients .
POSITIVE IMPACTS OF URBAN FARMING
Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers and incorporates controlled environment agriculture , optimising plant growth , and soilless farming techniques . Some common choices of structures to house vertical farming systems include buildings and large containers .
The advantage of vertical farming is an increased crop yield within a small area of land requirement .
Food security should always be a priority for the country . We need to reduce food imports , including fertilisers and animal feed ( such as maise for chicken ), so our food prices will not skyrocket .
One of the positive impacts of urban farming within our community is on our younger generation , who seem to think that food is not a significant problem . Some even believe that eggs come from the supermarket , and seeing a goat when they return to their kampungs is like looking at a dog with horns . They consume fast food with all the preservatives , sugar and salt as their daily staple , not realising the health risks these foods may pose .
It is about creating an environment that educates them on nature within the concrete urban jungle and food security when they begin to appreciate how fragile the agriculture sector is . Hopefully , they will take agriculture and food technology as a vocation for their future .
It starts with the community that they live in . Hence , destroying life-giving plants and trees is a grave sin , and for it to be committed by a local authority that is supposed to protect and serve the community is unacceptable .
It must be noted that in developed countries such as Sweden , Switzerland , Australia , and even South Africa , the cutting down of even a branch of a tree has to obtain approval from the local council , and that too after receiving permission from immediate neighbours and the residents association , plus a minimum fine before it can be cut down .
Our local council officers must be more rational and considerate in executing their duties and engaging with the community members . – @ ESG
THE GREEN DUDE feels local zone councillors nominated by the political party in power to represent the residents , and the voters wear three hats . They represent the local council , the party and the community , which in this case was overridden by the local authority ’ s interest . Now we know where we stand as a community .