The Concrete Graveyard

_{Image of Jamshaid's birds (different place), image by author}

Ashfaq is a good friend of mine. He is very fond of birds, so he has built a proper "Bird House" on the top floor of his home, which houses parrots, pigeons, chickens, and more. When I met him, he took me to the roof to show me this "Bird House." It was a four-story flat-like house, and we were standing on the roof of this tall building. After looking at the birds, I peered over the parapet at the city below, and to be honest, what city was it? It was a disorganized, merciless jungle. In this jungle of cement, there was smoke, dust, and chaos.

Then suddenly, my wandering eyes froze at one spot. I saw a strange sight before me, one that made my breath catch in surprise. It was the roof of a house where a carpet of greenery seemed to be spread. Thick, succulent grass was growing, and along the walls, roses and office-time plants were set in a few pots. Nearby, a bird quenched its thirst from a water container kept there and went on its way.

I cried out spontaneously:
"Ashfaq! This is a piece of heaven!"
Ashfaq looked at my amazement with great wonder, smiled, and said:
"Brother Qasim! This is the new trend now, Green Roof! In Europe, there are proper laws regarding this."
I asked excitedly:
"And what about here?"
His face fell as he said: "Here? In our place, the roof is only a sanctuary for water tanks, junk, or birds of eccentric people like me. Here, they are meant for crooked, protruding steel rods, as if the entire area is a graveyard for old iron scrap."

Dear readers! This sentence kept echoing in my mind.
'A graveyard atop the house'
How true it is. The very next morning, I climbed up to my own roof again and began to observe the roofs of the buildings in the area. Intense white sunlight, iron frames, rusted tires lying around, piles of broken furniture; someone had thrown trash, while another had stacked trunks... all were scorching in the sun. I was about to run away in frustration when suddenly, in the middle of it all, my eyes fell on a relatively old building. There, an elderly gentleman was watering plants in pots. The roof was green, exactly like the one I had seen in Brother Ashfaq’s neighborhood and which I had described as "Heaven."

Dear readers! I left my house immediately and reached that elderly man. He was Hasan Chacha, who lived in our own neighborhood.
I asked:
"Chacha, since when did you set all this up?"
He replied:
"Son! When my chest started feeling tight, the doctor said I need fresh air. I am not a rich man who can buy a bungalow in Defense or Bahria, but this roof was my own; I bought the air right here. Look, these plants are my medicine!"

There was contentment on his face. It was a simple matter... he bought air, and what a cheap medicine it was!

Respected readers! The question is, why is greenery disappearing from our cities and our lives? The reason is clear: greed! A shop in place of a tree is a symbol of more profit. A park can become a housing society. We have understood progress to mean only this: more concrete, more vehicles, and more shopping malls. The sole principle of our urban planning is to earn the maximum rupees per square foot. Where is the air to breathe in all this? There, you have the answer to your question as to why greenery is vanishing from our cities and lives.

But even knowing this, we remain indifferent, and then we sit down to treat this airlessness... sometimes with air-purifying machines, sometimes air conditioners, sometimes vitamin pills, and sometimes depression medication; in short, one thing or another. But we do not want to move toward the actual cure because it pinches our capital. On the other hand, we do not worry about the money we waste along with our deteriorating health. Or to put it in simpler words, our lifestyle has become such that we are buying the medicine that nature wants to give us for free, but we have thrown this free gift out not just from our homes, but from our very lives.

Welfare organizations start tree-planting campaigns. It is the need of the hour and should be done. Politicians promise to build parks. That is welcomed, and some even do it practically, which is very good. But think for a moment: will this work only happen through the long-term planning of large projects? So far, we have seen that our entire system runs on "reaction." We only act in "response"... for example, when floods come, there will be talk of drainage; when the heat intensifies, thoughts of plantation drives will occur, or there will be talk of importing air conditioners. But no effective strategy is formed beforehand to prevent this ailment.

Dear readers! I believe we must treat this. We can at least start from the roof of every home, just like Hasan Chacha. Let us all decide to make a green roof on our houses. Ten percent of every building’s rooftop must be green. I request you to look out of your window... how many trees do you see? How is your roof? Is there only scorching sun and water tanks there, or is there some sign of life and greenery? Your children might see artificial greenery in video games at home; these days, green carpets have also arrived that look just like grass but are artificial. But can you get the pleasure of walking on real grass from that? Not at all! It is as if we are making our next generation one that is cut off from nature, a generation that will think fruit comes from the market, not a tree, and water comes from a tank, not rain!

So then, what should be done? Should we keep waiting for the government? Should we do what our attitude usually is on such occasions? That is, shift the entire burden onto the government and feel relaxed ourselves?

No! Not at all! Look, Hasan Chacha started alone. You and I can do it too. One pot, one seasonal plant, tomato, coriander, mint... and a small start. When you grow greenery on your roof, you won't just be planting plants; you will be lowering the temperature. You will be providing water to free-roaming and flying birds. You will be giving clean air to your lungs, and above all, you will be giving a message.
That message will be:
"My home is not just for me; it is for this city in which I live. It is also for my earth, which is my mother."

Dear readers! This is the true hallmark of being a responsible citizen. So, next time you look at the city from a tall building and it looks like a desolate, hot desert of cement, do raise a question:
"Do we want to turn the center of our dreams and the city of lights into the ruins of Mohenjo-daro?"
Then, if the answer comes in the negative, do make some effort... through your means, your money, or your words... to bring it back to life, because a natural and organic environment is our most fundamental need.