In a novel initiative, the employees of Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in Attingal have cultivated an organic success story out of a wasteland. After the first harvest, the unit won agriculture department’s award for the best agri-initiative by a government department.
The busy Attingal bus stand had around 50 cents of land lying overgrown with bushes. It was turned into cultivable land by CITU-affiliated Kerala State Road Transport Employees Association (KSRTEA) of Attingal depot.
“Plastics and non-biodegradable waste had been dumped on this 50 cent of land. We had to work a lot to clean up the land,” said S J Arunjith, a conductor and joint secretary of KSRTEA in Attingal. The fruits of their labour include ladies finger, green chilli, brinjals, banana, bitter gourd, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, pea, red and green amaranthus,etc.
The success of their initiative can be gauged from the fact that they could harvest 20 kg of pea per day. Their produce got snapped up at their depot itself. “Most of the produce got sold within the unit itself. We sold the vegetables for Rs 5,000,” said Anilkumar, a KSRTC employee. Organic manure prepared according to bio-composting method was used for cultivation.
“We adopted organic farming method for better ecosystem management and produce toxin free vegetables. Organic farming will enhance our agro ecosystem along with improving the fertility of the soil. It will help regulate the biological cycle,” said Arunjith.
“The entire farming process was done by the employees during their free time,” said Sanilkumar, member of KSRTEA. The water required for farming was taken from the nearby pond. The harvested organic vegetables were distributed among the employees at a low rate. “We had to stop cultivation for 2 months due to the harsh summer. But with the onset of monsoon, we are planning to farm different types of vegetables,” said Sanilkumar.
The award was given by V S Sunilkumar, Minister of Agriculture on May 31 at Parasala.