IF we just took care of our environment, we wouldn't need to take drastic steps like cubby hole-like oxygen bars where just a 10-minute sniff could cost you Rs 500! To create a society with emphasis on proper environmental control is the need of the hour. And this is being achieved through liberal planning, extensive plantations and several eco-friendly practices at the Magarpatta City - an oxygen zone in Pune where you can treat yourself to the purest form of air. The goal here is to enable a superior quality of life that revolves around a pollution-free environment.

Perennial Blooms

The landscaping at Magarpatta City is based on the concept of 'Rituchakra'. This is a technique by which flowering bushes and trees are planted in a way that the city is in bloom all round the year. You get a visual feast in Vasant (spring), Grishma (summer), Varsha (monsoon), Sharad (autumn), Hemant and Shishir (winter). All through the year, the flowers ensure that the city is always a fresh and invigorating sight.

Plantation Drives

Of the 400 acres, 120 acres in the city are reserved for green cover, which includes gardens, fountains and lawns. Today, Magarpatta City already has 32,000 trees and 20 lakh square feet of lawns. This figure grows continuously as massive tree plantation drives are organised every year on World Environment Day. The Utopia is picture-perfect with beautiful homes dotting meadows, streets lined by trees and interspersed by fountains.

Rainwater Harvesting

For Magarpatta City, the real challenge lies in preserving the sanctity of the beautiful environment that has been created. As water is still a scarce resource, maintaining such an extensive green cover is tough. The city has therefore adopted rainwater harvesting techniques - pipes under the pavements and soakaways act as catchments for rainwater that is recycled and used for landscaping. Added to this, the 15 existing wells in the city have been interlinked and covered to conserve water. Large water bodies like the lake in the central garden help harvest rainwater as well.

Noise Control

At Magarpatta City, noise pollution is taken care of by adopting the 'Walk-to-Work,

Walk-to-School, Walk-to-Entertainment concept'. According to this everything a family needs - school for children, workspace for parents and entertainment for family - is provided within walking distance from homes. This eliminates the use of vehicles, curbs noise and air pollution. Also, the trees that line the roads act as sound insulation pads.

Energy Sources

Household garbage constitutes a major percentage of environmental pollution. To curb this, Magarpatta City follows an eco-friendly system where the garbage is segregated into bio-degradable and non bio-degradable groups at the source. The bio-degradables are then processed in vermiculture pits to create the manure used in gardening. To save on electricity consumption and large bills, every home in Magarpatta City has been provided with a solar water heating system. The difference between Magarpatta City and any other project is that this place is not just a real estate project. It's an ideal, a thought-out city that's actually aiming to make life better. By providing all facilities in a clean and green pollution-free environment, the city has secured a place in the Maharashtra Economic Development Council's 'Success Saga'. Today, Magarpatta City is known as the Oxygen Zone of Pune and is an accepted reference point for other infrastructure projects in the country.

Keep It Green

Tips to go green from Satish Magar, Managing Director, Magarpatta Township Development and Construction Company

• Lavish green footpaths help in controlling dust from rising and causing pollution.

• Stick to international standards, plant one tree for every 50 square metres.

• Each tree that comes in the way of development should not be just uprooted and thrown, it should be transplanted to another area.

• *Keep two garbage containers -one for the recyclable waste and the other for non-recyclable waste.

• Use the waste mud that comes up during construction for landscaping.

• Artificial lakes not only add to the charm of an area but also attract migratory birds. Instead of swimming pools, construct an artificial pond or lake in your area.

• Create a nursery in your building. Each month, residents can add at least one plant and take turns to look after it.