Delhi University Prof. Launches India's First Carbon Garden On Campus

Amid soaring AQI and soil pollution rates, the University of Delhi has launched a new initiative to tackle pollution. The country’s first ‘Carbon Garden’ was developed by Professor Dinabandhu Sahu, Head of the Botany Department, to act as a model for urban areas for handling pollution levels.

Prof Sahu, the Chairperson of the Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Council, installed the garden on the university campus after about four years of hard work.

As per Prof Sahu, if similar small carbon gardens are created in schools, colleges, universities, residential areas, and office complexes, they could significantly improve air and soil quality.

He also noted the gardens could positively influence mental health by providing greener surroundings in dense urban environments.

Unlike traditional gardens that mainly focus on seasonal flowers, this garden features trees and plants that remain active throughout the year and continue to purify the air.

Flowers usually fade after their season ends and contribute little to long-term air cleaning. In contrast, the carbon garden is designed for continuous environmental benefits.

The carbon garden includes multiple forms including algae, fungi, bacteria, bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms. The design aims to function both as a mini biodiversity park and an urban ecosystem model withing a crowded city landscape.

The garden occupies only about 2,000 square feet yet includes 45 species of plants such as herbs, shrubs and trees.

The garden includes mostly native plants, including hydrophytes, xerophytes and mesophytes. It also contains an organism believed to have originated around 1.3 billion years ago.

The initiative is both an environmental and social experiment as it could contribute to lowering long-term medical expenses.