300 green spaces in 2 yrs, district to expand project

Thiruvananthapuram: Two years after Haritha Keralam Mission launched Pachathuruthu (green space) project, 300 green spaces have been set up in the district. It was launched with an aim to create green spaces across the state to effectively combat climate change. As part of World Environment Day observance on Saturday, the mission plans to have 30 more green spaces in the district.
The initiative, launched on June 5, 2019, is being implemented with the support of local bodies, agriculture department, biodiversity board, social forestry department, employment guarantee scheme, environmental organizations, and people’s representatives. Thiruvananthapuram is the first district to create green spaces in all local bodies.
The largest Pachathurutu in the district is located at Kallikkad grama panchayat. At Kallikkad the authorities have used the land of KTDC (dam site) to set up Pachathuruthu. Out of the eight acres, four acres have been utilized for the purpose.
On June 5, 2019, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the first-ever green space in the state at Vengode Family Health Centre in Pothencode grama panchayat. The area has now it has turned into a micro forest, with varied species of indigenous plants.
Currently, Pachathuruthu has been set up on nearly 39 acres. On these plots, authorities have planted 12,598 trees, 8,166 bushes and 821 climbers. Also, the authorities envisaged a system to conduct frequent visits to these green spaces, and if required replantation is done. The district also has the credit of setting up the first green space on the premises of a police station.
On the 30 cents near the Pangode police station green space has been set up and later a similar green space was created on the premises of Neyyattinkara police station too.
“Through social forestry, three lakh saplings will be made available to all local bodies as per their requirements. We aim at distributing 2,32,000 saplings by the end of June and 68,000 by July. In addition to this we are also planning to make available two lakh saplings developed in nurseries as part of the Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee programme,” said Haritha Keralam Mission district coordinator D Humayoon.