Srinagar’s first zero-carbon garden turns vintage vehicles into planters

Srinagar’s first-ever zero-carbon recreational garden was inaugurated on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the Polo View area, offering a rare green space to residents of the congested Barbar Shah and Maisuma localities. The garden, designed on a “waste-to-wonder” theme, features abandoned vehicles and objects from the 1970s and earlier, repurposed as planters.

Among the notable installations are a rare tractor manufactured by HMT Ltd in the 1970s, an old jeep from the Jammu and Kashmir Garages Department, and a ticket counter from the Chashme Shahi Garden that predates 1970. These have been transformed into flower beds, blending nostalgia with sustainability.

Masooma Banoo, Director of Floriculture, Kashmir, said, “We tried to use abandoned vehicles like jeeps, wooden ticket posts and tonga (horse-driven cart) from the pre-70s as installations in the garden. It’s our bid to have a waste-to-wonder theme garden in Srinagar. The lights of the garden are run by solar panels. It’s the first garden with zero carbon emissions. All the installations in the garden are donated. We have not purchased any installation.”

The garden is intended as a recreational and healing space for local residents, especially women and children. “We want locals, especially women and children, to use the park to enjoy the installations and learn about the flower varieties of Kashmir. We would be happy to incorporate any installations offered by locals for the garden,” Ms. Banoo added.

Kashmir has a total of 271 gardens, with around 93 located in Srinagar alone. The new garden is adorned with a vintage Ambassador car, a classic Kashmiri tonga, a floral boat, a floral scooter, a heritage jeep, a floral tractor, old tyres and other reclaimed items, giving visitors a glimpse of the region’s history while promoting environmental consciousness.

In a unique initiative titled “Take a plant and make a promise,” free plants such as succulents, caladiums and hanging varieties are being distributed to local residents. “We will be distributing free plants among locals with a promise to nurse them at homes,” said Ms. Banoo.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who inaugurated the garden, said the initiative was aimed at promoting recycling, reuse and greater public awareness about plastic waste. “The message of the garden was to encourage responsible reuse and prevent plastic waste from ending up in drains,” he said.

The garden has been conceived as a thematic model landscape based on the principles of Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse (RRR). Nearly 90% of the materials used in its construction have been sourced through recycling and refurbishment rather than fresh procurement, making the project an example of resource-efficient and sustainable landscaping.

Officials noted that the garden has been planned to offer continuous bloom from spring through late autumn. “Plant selection and bloom-succession scheduling are aimed at keeping the site visually vibrant and florally active across changing seasons,” they said.