Mahreen Bhatia, a resident of 3, Kachanar Marg, H Block studies in Pathways School Gurgaon and recently conducted a workshop for residents of DLF-1 where she spoke about Hydroponics.
“As part of a project at my school, I made it my mission to share my knowledge with the community and encourage them to cultivate their healthy vegetables at home. With my mother’s support, I invited residents from my DLF Phase 1 community to attend my hydroponics workshop, and I was heartened to see a large number of people coming out to support my initiative,” says Mahreen.
For those who are not aware, hydroponics is a form of agriculture where one grows vegetables in water rather than soil. Interestingly this process consumes less water than the traditional growing method. This can be done at a commercial scale as well as at home.
Mahreen shares her interest in plants, gardening and growing. She says “ My fascination with gardening began at the tender age of 4. As a child, I spent countless hours playing in our garden, finding joy in watering the plants as if it were a game. What truly amazed me was my grandmother’s profound knowledge and unwavering dedication to her plants.”
Mahreen is one of the few teenagers who has been actively growing veggies in her kitchen garden. “Not only did I witness vegetables thriving in my very own kitchen garden, but I also acquired a wealth of knowledge along the way. My garden flourished with lettuce, spinach, carrots, coriander, eggplant, and okra, to name a few. The positive impact of my endeavour inspired others in my community to follow suit, and they, too, began cultivating their kitchen gardens.”
Unfortunately, after two years, our community faced a severe water shortage, which forced Mahreen to discontinue her vegetable cultivation practices due to the lack of water resources.
Undeterred, I continued my research to explore alternatives to organic farming. This is when she was introduced to Hydroponic farming and she embarked on her journey to creating her own hydroponic garden at home. She participated in workshops and visited hydroponic farms to learn the art.
Over three months, she successfully cultivated spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and bottle gourds using the Cocopeat method. “Witnessing my vegetables flourish in my backyard filled me with immense joy.” Says Mahreen
Mahreen now plans to share her knowledge with other fellow residents and encourage them to have their hydroponic kitchen gardens.
