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Business of roadside nurseries
Imtiaz Mateen
Roadside nurseries on green belt areas are a new phase for Karachites. About two years ago, the city government floated that idea after which the nurseries have started to grow like mushrooms. According to the city government, 115 temporary nurseries are working on some of the city's main roads. Some nurseries have opened with town and union councils' permission also.
Cantonment boards and DHA have also given permission to nurseries in their respective areas. However no one knows the exact number of nurseries as a survey in this regard is under way, but an estimate put the number at not less then 200.
The basic idea behind roadside nurseries was that it would make the city green and clean, it would stop encroachments, control the waste dumps, would prove cost-effective for the city government and save money which it spent on planting and maintaining greenery. Moreover, it provide some fresh air for the polluted city and would generates an economic activity with some healthy source of income.
About two years ago when the city government started allotting land for temporary nurseries, the security deposit was Rs20,000 and the land rent was Rs1000 per month on three years contract. The temporary nurseries could be removed on one month notice if needed for some development works. Now the city government is encouraging people to come in this business, and has reduced its security deposit from Rs20,000 to Rs5000. The city government expects to earn Rs18,00,000 in fiscal year 2002-03 from temporary nurseries. Its parks department has 2000 plots for temporary nurseries and eager to rent them out.
Water and electricity, are the nursery owners' problem, either they use sewage water or buy a water tanker or get a wire for a bulb from somewhere. The minimum cost to establish a nursery is Rs50,000 to Rs 60,000. However, there is no limit of investment in this business; some nurseries are selling imported plants, with the price tag of four to five thousand rupees per plant. In such type of sales, they are making 50 to 100 per cent profit.
Viability: People have different views about the viability of such nurseries and many of them think that roadside nurseries are not very paying businesses, but it can provide gardeners or malis a permanent place to sit, where they can have some permanent clients from where they can earn Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 per month. These malis are usually from Bakhar, who literally have no idea or very poor knowledge about plants and horticulture. However, their clients are equally ignorant about gardening and plants so they follow these malis' advice.
As far as temporary nurseries' sales are concerned, after deducting all expenses they Rs 4,000 to 5,000 per month. There is large scope for educated and trained people. But unfortunately Faisalabad and Tandu Jam agriculture universities are not producing suitably trained graduates. Some women in Karachi have started their nurseries after doing six months horticulture and gardening courses of the Horticulture Society of Pakistan. About 6,000 men and women have
passed the society's general course.
No government in Pakistan has ever considered horticulture as a profitable industry. If the economic managers look around and see how many countries are making money from this small-scale business, they would realize how profitable this business is. Horticulture exports plays a vital role in Holland's economy; Far Eastern countries and some other countries are supplying plants and cut flowers to various countries. But in Pakistani it is not considered an industry.
The city government's parks department spends round Rs45 million in a year. Around Rs20 million are spent on development of parks and green belt plantation and the rest on salaries and other expenses. The city government has only three nurseries: Aziz Bhatti Park, Gutter Baghicha, Boat Basin Amir Khusro Park. These grow plants for plantation. Two nurseries, zoological garden and Bagh-e-Jinnah nurseries, were wound up by the previous administrator of Karachi who considered them a loss to the city.
Karachi city has 18 towns. The city government should arrange a yearly flower show and a garden competition for all these towns, and the towns arrange similar competition for their union councils. These competitions would promote interest in plantation and greenery.
Parks: Five or six years ago, a proposal for the establishment of parks and horticulture authority was mooted. But it was never implemented in Karachi; however in 1998 Lahore's municipal corporation established Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) by merging the horticultural wings of LDA and MCL on Sept 21st 1998.
The rationale for the creation of the PHA was to encourage horticulture in Lahore, in the wake of Road Rehabilitation Projects. The main objective behind the creation of PHA was to make Lahore clean and beautiful. Mr. Kamran Lashari was posted as first D.G. of
PHA. The PHA manages and maintains more than 500 Parks within the city and has also developed many new Parks under a short span of time.
Proposal: A proposal is under consideration that on both sides of three main highways, super highway, national highway and Hub river road, entering Karachi, 300 yards wide spaces on both sides should be used for about 3000 big temporary nurseries. If this proposal materializes, it would give Karachi a new look, and create new job or business opportunities in Karachi.
Violations of rules: It is generally believed that the nurseries are using sewerage water from nalas, but the fact is that many of them are involved in water theft with the help of water and sewerage board staff, who provide them illegal water connections.
According to the rules the city government has bound the nurseries not to occupy the footpath, but too many nurseries are violating this rule: at Hassan Square, and on University Road, between Sakhi Hassan and Nagan Chorangi, and other parts of the city. Many nurseries did
not leave a single inch of footpath.
Though the officials of the city government parks department say they can cancel the license of any nursery which violates rules, but in fact footpath encroachments are overlooked. The city government should take a strict notice of such nurseries so that they stay
within their limits.
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Pakissan.com;
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