Parassala is all set to become the first barren land-free Assembly constituency in the State.
Efforts being undertaken jointly by the Haritha Keralam Mission and the Agriculture Department under the ‘Thalir’ project to start cultivation in barren and unused lands in nine grama panchayats in the constituency are in the final phase.
According to C.K. Hareendran, MLA, the constituency will earn the coveted recognition on August 29.
Speaking at a meeting to review the progress of the ongoing work, he said that paddy farming, which had been limited to 12 hectares of land, has been extended to over 40 hectares in the region, turning the project into a huge success.
Top priority
Prior to the launch of the project, unused land in each grama panchayats were identified, enabling steps to launch farming in 40 hectares of land with paddy being provided top priority. Paddy farming has also been relaunched in those areas where land was used for cultivating other crops.
Besides paddy farming, cultivation of vegetables, plantains, and fruits was also undertaken, depending on the availability of irrigation.
As part of the Thalir project, 10 lakh saplings of vegetables, curry leaves, and fruit-bearing species had been distributed across the constituency.
