Haritha Keralam Mission’s efforts to set up ‘green spots’ as part of the State-wide ‘Pachathuruthu’ (green islet) project have borne fruit in Kozhikode district with the support of various local bodies and youth movements. Project officials said, under the scheme, there were 117 green spots in the district, which were officially opened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan through videoconferencing on Thursday.
Some of the green spots now nurture medicinal plants and fruit-bearing trees.
According to Corporation authorities, there are four such green spots within Kozhikode city limits. Two of them are inside the V.K. Krishna Menon Memorial Garden at Komeri. The green spots, realised with the support of the Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme in 2019 and 2020, were home to thousands of saplings and fruit plants, they added.
The completion of the four green spots was officially declared by Mayor Thottathil Raveendran here on Thursday. At the event, he received the official letter of commendation issued by the Haritha Keralam Mission for cooperating with the project. V.K.C. Mammad Koya, MLA, presented the letter to the Mayor.
A decision was taken to expand the conservation project to more urban areas.
It was in 2019 that the Pachathuruthu project was launched in Kozhikode district with an aim to promote miniature forests, giving priority to the conservation of rare plants. Training was imparted to a number of volunteers, local body members and clubs to take the project up in their villages.
In Kannur
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday announced the completion of 65 green spots in Kannur district through videoconferencing. The green spots are in 38 gram panchayats in the district and one each in Mattannur and Taliparamba municipalities in 68.98 acres.