THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After adopting effective measures for the management of kitchen waste in homes, a project to grow medicinal plants in households is now underway in the city. The Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) has initiated the Household Medicinal Plants Cultivation project in the city with a pilot project launched in association with Nandavanam Residents Association.
The project, funded by the State Medicinal Board, Kerala (SMPB-K) was inaugurated by V K Prasanth, Mayor, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation on Monday, at a function presided over by Aisha Baker, Councillor, Palayam Ward.
The Mayor said that though the cultivation of vegetables in growbags was a welcome move, grow bags could also be threat to the environment. “The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation would take steps to make it legally compulsory to affix holograms on plastic carry bags of above 50 microns. Thiruvananthapuram would be declared completely plastic carry bag free on January 26 next year,” he added.
Household cultivation of medicinal plants is a first-ever initiative. This will be rolled out in three phases. In the pilot phase, 20 growbags of 30 medicinal plant saplings were distributed to 34 households by the Mayor.
The Household Medicinal Plants Cultivation project intends to create awareness among the general public on the significance of medicinal plants and the advantages of cultivating these herbs at home.
In an era where the significance ayurveda is on the rise both in India and overseas, the project is expected to go a long way in creating awareness on the importance of growing medicinal plants at the household level and reaping the benefits they carry with them.
The inauguration of the project was held at the Nandavanam Residents Association office at NRA 7, Thoppil House, Vaniyar Street in the presence of K Radhakrishnan, CEO (In Charge) of SMPB-K; C Suresh Kumar, general secretary, CISSA; R Rajan, vice president, NRA; and Anil Joy, secretary, NRA.
S Rajasekharan, Scientist (Rtd), Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute provided an introduction to the project.
The project will be taken forward in other parts of Thiruvananthapuram, and will also be accompanied by training sessions on the rearing of medicinal plants by Dr P Sankarankutty, former director of Ayurveda Medical Education; C K Peethambaran, director, Agriculture, CISSA; P Raghunath and N G Balachandranath, head, Organic Farming Resource Centre, CISSA.