THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In order to promote a more sustainable lifestyle, the district administration has come up with a unique programme which envisages a healthier environment. The C5 project, abbreviated for Change Can Change Climate Change, has already thousands of volunteers and
professionals from Thiruvananthapuram.
In the initial phase, the district administration plans to roll out three major projects including Project Udhyanam, Project Samrudhi and Green Protocol. The C5 project is formulated by giving emphasis on environmental sustainability, gender equality, and physical-mental fitness. C5 will be operated by creating financially sustainable and eco-friendly business models which will be seed-funded by CSR initiatives.
Through the District Collector’s Internship Programme (DCIP), socially responsive youth are discerned and are given an opportunity to get trained and implement such sustainable business models successfully. “Every component will operate as strategic business unit’s and will thrive for self-sustainability in a few years time,” said Bharat Govind, volunteer of the C5 project.
By launching this ambitious project, the intent is to create a network of environmentally-financially sustainable social entrepreneurship and volunteer activity models. The project coordinators are of the opinion that while the state is witnessing severe epidemics like dengue and other communicable diseases, unforeseen natural disasters like Ockhi, severe conditions of drought at certain areas and environmental issues such as accumulation of plastic waste and e-waste, it’s high time to commence an alleviation process.
Project Samrudhi
The project propagates organic farming methods that strive for sustainability, the escalation of soil fertility and biological diversity. The Samrudhi project aims at developing a production system that sustains the health of soil, ecosystems and people. As a result, there will be direct access to fresh vegetables and fruit products, which improve food security and food safety. It relies on ecological processes, bio-diversity and cycles altered to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects.
A new project called ‘Project Sthithi’ is in progress, which focuses on going back to the old systems of a sustainable lifestyle. Through implementing Sthithi, everyday habits have to be changed in order to make a difference in the living environment. Sthithi includes rainwater harvesting, energy conservation methods and sustainable lifestyle adaptation techniques.
Project Green Protocol
#PPT Campaign
The new mission #PPT campaign comes under the Green Protocol project. The #PPT campaign instigates commuters to use public transport to increase mobility. It also propels decongestion of roads to bring down the carbon footprint.
Project Udhyanam
Through the project, the district administration shows certain ways to execute a perfect dump site clearance by identifying such sites with the help of residents associations. A volunteer group has been created to segregate waste into biodegradable (BD) and non-biodegradable (NBD) waste. BD waste (contain small bits of NBD waste) were filled into grow bags and inoculated with microbes and left for 15 days, later ornamental plants were planted into this grow bags converting the dump site to the garden.