The use of coir bhoovastra extensively as an eco-friendly geo textile to prevent soil erosion and promote vegetation cover to the ecologically fragile wetland ecosystems will not only help to revive agriculture in general and paddy cultivation in particular, but also assist in reviving the sagging fortunes of coir industry in the State, P. Thilothaman, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, has said.
Inaugurating the covering of the outer bund of Thekkekizhi Mundathusseri polder in Ward 5 of Kumarakom grama panchayat as part of the Haritha Keralam Mission through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Scheme on Tuesday, the Minister said the bhoovastra would help conserve water level and structure of the top soil and as such was an integral part of the Haritha Keralam Mission.
The government intended to use the bhoovastra for combating sea erosion and also in road construction in certain types of soil, he said.
Through the extensive use of the geo textile, the government planned to revive the labour community of the coir sector, though at present the State had to import row coir fibre from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, he added.
Development of a market internally would help the revival of coconut and paddy cultivation in the State, Mr. Thilothaman said.
K. Suresh Kurup, MLA, presided over the function. District panchayat president Zacharias Kuthiraveli, grama panchayat member Jayesh Mohan and others spoke.