Kodumon grama panchayat has become the first complete ‘Pachathuruthu’ panchayat in the State on Monday.
Electricity Minister M.M. Mani formally declared Kodumon a complete ‘Pachathuruthu’ panchayat at an official function held at Edathitta Kavumpattu auditorium near Kodumon on Monday afternoon.
Addressing the function, Mr. Mani said every citizen was bound to conserve nature and make his surroundings green, especially at a time when the world was facing the ill effects of climate change.
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The Minister said creation of a healthy atmosphere was very essential for the sustenance of humanity itself.
The ‘Pachathurutu’ project launched by the Haritha Keralam Mission was part of the Government’s greening mission, he said.
He said the ‘Pachathuruthu’ project is meant to address the ill effects of the climate change by conserving the natural forests and by greening the fallow lands across the State.
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Haritha Keralam State vice-chairperson T.N. Seema said the greening mission has been planned in a total of 25 acres of land lying fallow in 54 different places across the district.
Pilot project
The Haritha Keralam Mission had launched its Pachathuruthu programme first as a pilot project in the catchment areas of the Mullottu dam in Kodumon grama panchayat way back in June. A total of 26 green belts have been developed in the 18 wards of the Kodumon panchayat as part of the project.
The project was implemented in association with the State Biodiversity Board, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, Agriculture Department, Social Forestry division of the Forest Department, various environmental organisations, educational institutions, according to R.Rajesh, district co-ordinator.
Chittayam Gopakumar, MLA, presided.
Annapoornadevi, district panchayat president; Kunjannamma Kunju, grama panchayat president; P.Sathikumari, R.Rajeevkumar, District Panchayat members, and Beena Prabha, block panchayat president, spoke.