India: Kolkata's first organic restaurant

India's Economic Times reported recently that the West Bengal government has set up its own organic restaurant in Kolkata's eco park.

Named Roof-Katha, the restaurant has a rooftop organic garden and all the delicacies served in the restaurant are made from ingredients produced in the garden. Run by the Bengal agriculture department, organic fertilizers, rain water and sunlight are the only inputs used for growing vegetables. Alongside supplying ingredients to Roof-Katha some of the vegetables are sold in markets.

The agriculture department, that had earlier approved the idea of encouraging the city's residents to grow vegetables and fruit in their own gardens using organic fertilizers, is also thinking of incentivising the scheme by certifying this kind of building as a green building.

Another idea being considered is setting up centres for selling organic fertilizer. The fertilizer would be sourced from residents who compost everyday waste like soaked tea leaves and the peel of vegetables and fruit.