KOCHI: Minister for Education C. Ravindranath launched the district-level Haritha Keralam (Green Kerala) Mission here on Thursday with a call to develop a culture of nature conservation. Vegetable cultivation on 50 cents close to the district panchayat office was also launched on the occasion.
The Minister said the very human existence was under threat from pollution of air, water, and soil. He warned that if any species disappeared from earth, it would have serious consequences for the human race. “The best way to preserve soil, water, and air from pollution is to engage ourselves in agriculture,” he added.
Actors Mammootty and Srinivasan, who inaugurated the water conservation and agricultural activities programmes under the Haritha Kerala Mission, called for people’s initiative for nature conservation. While Mr. Mammootty expressed apprehensions over shortage of water this year, Mr. Srinivasan stressed the need for government intervention to make agriculture profitable for farmers.
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MLAs P.T. Thomas and Hibi Eden, district panchayat president Asha Sanal, Thrikkakara municipal chairman K.K. Neenu, Mayor Soumini Jain, and District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla were among those who spoke at the function. A message from poet Chemmanam Chacko was also read out on the occasion.
Under the Haritha Kerala Mission, panchayats will implement 1,525 projects, while municipalities and the Kochi Corporation will execute 592 and 72 projects respectively. Mr. Ravindranath promised that all projects would be followed up and reviewed frequently.
He also distributed seedlings to 15,000 Kudumbashree neighbourhood groups to be planted in three cents per NHG.
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