Kerala - Kochi   

Harithakeralam project in district inaugurated

KOCHI: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan on Friday inaugurated Harithakeralam — a project aimed at boosting the organic cultivation of vegetables with the help of school children.

A joint endeavour of Kochi-based Yasoram Charitable Trust and Kerala Kaumudi, the project was inaugurated at the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Ernakulam. The initiative intends to use organic waste generated from households and commercial establishments to cultivate vegetables. Mr Achuthanandan left the venue without delivering the inaugural speech. Earlier, police arrested and removed a few KSU (I) activists who tried to wave black flags at the Chief Minister.

Welcoming the gathering, the trustee of Yasoram, A.R.S. Vadhyar said that the endeavour aims at encouraging students from 50 schools in the district to take up organic cultivation of vegetables and other plants.

“There is no better time to kick off the programme than the beginning of the academic year. Using students as the medium, our aim is to encourage vegetable cultivation in homes so that people can have pesticide-free vegetables, lessening Kerala’s dependence on neighbouring States. As an offshoot of the project, we also want to help create awareness on the immense scope to convert garbage into manure and the recycling of non bio-degradable materials like plastic. This will ultimately lead to cleaner surroundings.”

The programme aims to involve 25,000 school students in the district to begin vegetable farms in their houses. These households will in the long run gain experience in modern waste management methods in their homes. Good performers from each school will be given cash awards worth Rs 2,000, Rs 1,000 and Rs 500, apart from certificates. The overall best performing student will get Rs 5,000.

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