Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran will open the medicinal garden project of Haritha Keralam Mission, being implemented at the Ayush Health and Wellness Centres across the district, on Saturday. The district level inauguration will be held at the Government Ayurveda Dispensary at Kattippara at 10 a.m.
The project involves setting up medicinal plant gardens at Health and Wellness Centres being prepared under the Ayushman Bharat project of the National Health Mission. Four government Ayurveda dispensaries (Kattippara, Vellannur, Beypore, Feroke) and two government homoeopathy dispensaries (Cheruvannur, Thuneri) in the district come under the project.
P.Prakashan, project coordinator of Haritha Keralam Mission in the district, said that the project aimed at creating more awareness among the masses on medicinal plants. A large variety of such and herbs including gooseberry, ashwagandha, kurunthotti, keezharnelli, brahmi, chittamrith, turmeric, aloevera, neem, asparagus, ginger, tulsi, avanakku, karinochi, and adalodakam would be grown on the premises of these six dispensaries, preferably on the ground, and if not, in large flower pots.
In Kattippara, a large plot near the dispensary with overgrown shrubs, is being cleared and land filled, to set up the medicinal garden. The help of agencies such as the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Farmers’ Task Force of Kattipara panchayat, is being utilised for the project at various stages. Herbs such as sankhupushpam, ashokam, kacholam, danthapala, adalodakam, aanachuvadi, kasturi manjal, changalamparanda, tulsi, pepper, kayyonni, koovalam, cheroola, thippali, panikkorkka, murikootti, ilamulachi, theruvapullu, erukku, nandyarvattam, ayyappana, muthanga, and vathamkolli have already been planted here.
M.K.Muneer, MLA, will preside over the event while the president of Kattippara grama panchayat and officials will take part.
