To increase climate and environmental resilience of Chennai city through multi-faceted green rooftops that cool the city, reduce energy load, increase rain water recharge and provide access to fresh, healthy & nutritious food for citizens.
Fresh vegetables from terrace to thattu, a beautiful green space for family and friends to spend time, a cooler building leading to energy savings… there are many great reasons why you should convert your rooftop into a vegetable garden.
Depending on the area, type of garden (container / direct soil beds), the cost can vary, starting from INR 100/- per sq ft.
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Is your neighbourhood prepared to contribute to a city-wide movement to help reduce urban heat, conserve water and energy, segregate waste, promote health and wellbeing and produce tasty, organic fruits and vegetables? The PatchaiMadi Thottam movement challenges neighbourhoods in Chennai to participate in the Rooftop Revolution by actively encouraging a minimum of 20% households within your locality to install rooftop / terrace vegetable gardens.
Contact us to know more & for assistance with subsidies
The Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance is a working coalition of NGOs and private-sector organizations (e.g., finance, insurance, humanitarian assistance, scientific research and infrastructure-focused groups), and city governments, that are committed to reducing extreme urban heat risk.
Members of the Alliance will work to combat the effects of extreme heat by participating in one or more of the following activities jointly undertaken by the coalition:
The Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance recognizes the urgent need to protect people and communities from exposure to, and impacts of, extreme heat, given the substantial and increasing risks of this ‘silent killer.’
What are the benefits of setting up an urban vegetable garden?
We encourage you to read our page Benefits of Urban Farms & Gardens to better understand the many reasons why you should consider setting up your own rooftop / ground level vegetable garden.
How do I know if my terrace / building is suitable for a vegetable garden?
It is best to check if your building has a structural stability certificate, which is mandatory for any construction, or get a structural engineer to determine strength and load bearing capacity. Many terrace garden setup specialists can assist you with this and will perform a site inspection for you.
How do I encourage more people in my neighbourhood or association to take up rooftop gardening?
The Urban Thottam website is designed to support beginner gardeners in setting up and caring for their gardens. The website contains sections such as the Benefits of Urban Gardening, A Knowledge Base that includes basic guides on various topics, a Crop Calendar and Crop Encylopedia, FAQ section and more. All of these resources make taking up the challenge of starting your own garden easy. Further, there are many inspirational stories of Thottakara Champions and other urban gardening related news that can inspire your neighbours. In the Get Involved section of this website we include many fun ideas that citizens from across the city have contributed that address the issue of how to get more people interested in joining this movement. Really the best thing you can do is become a Champion yourself, and invite neighbours and friends to come and visit your own green patch to see, first hand, how wonderful it is to have one!