Minister for Fisheries J. Mercykutty Amma presented the Edam housing project in a seminar on ‘Community Empowerment by Sustainable Development Goals’ at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Edam (place for all), her constituency development initiative at Kundara, is an alternative model using sustainable and environment-friendly methods.
Along with UN officials, academicians and students from various countries were part of conference organised by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI). The conference was aired live in 193 countries.
“I am proud to say at this moment that my home State Kerala in India pioneered the Kerala Model of development which is renowned world over for its emphasis on the philosophy of development through people’s participation,” the Minister said, introducing the project.
She said in the presentation that Edam has been conceptualised in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 along with various missions of the State government including LIFE, Haritha Keralam and Aardram.
“It's a model for convergence of the governance at all levels with social capital and natural resources by mobilising people,” she added. Edam aims to provide shelter to 100 families in the Kundara constituency and the low-cost houses for the project were designed and constructed by students of the TKM College of Engineering.
District Collector S. Karthikeyan, TKM Trust chairman T. K. Shahal Hasan Musaliar, college principal Ayoob Sulaiman and UN representative Saji. C.Thomas also spoke on the occasion.
The different aspects of the Edam project were presented by Kollam Assistant Development Commissioner V. Sudeshan, District Information Officer C. Ajoy, additional private secretary of the Minister Roy Tomlal, UNAI chapter representative from TKM College Asif Ayoob, civil engineering head Sunilkumar Bhaskar and faculty member Altaf Muhammed.
UNAI head Ramu Damodaran was the moderator of the conference.
