THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Right in the middle of the city, so close to the din and bustle, a paddyfield is awaiting its maiden harvest. The 20 cents of land at the far end of the sprawling Putharikandam ground has now come to wear a golden tint. Standing tall and ready to be reaped, the ripe paddy plants are patiently waiting for the day when ‘those concerned’ would be free from their engagements and turn up for the harvest.
City Mayor K Chandrika said that the harvest of the paddyfield at Putharikandam will be held at the earliest. ‘’We have not yet received a notification from the Agriculture Department on the date of harvest. But this is certainly a joyous occasion for us. We are well aware that the field is ready for harvest and we would be doing it most probably this week itself.’’
It was in August that the place was earmarked for paddy cultivation. As a joint initiative of the City Corporation and Agriculture Department, the paddy saplings were planted to revive the glorious tradition of Putharikandam.
The Mayor said that the paddy cultivation will be continued even after the first harvest. ‘’This initiative was one among the best endeavours of the previous Corporation to uphold our agricultural tradition. We would also continue the project in future. This is something Putharikandam had always signified and we would want to keep up the tradition,’’ she said.
The Corporation is yet to take a final decision regarding the utilisation of the yield from the first harvest. ‘’The Corporation alone cannot take a decision on this. We will have to discuss it with the Agriculture Minister,’’ Chandrika said.
Former Mayor C Jayan Babu, during the inauguration of paddy cultivation, had said that the harvest would be gifted to Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple as a mark of tradition.
Chandrika also said that the Corporation does not have any plans so far in extending the 20 cents of paddy cultivation at Putharikandam. ‘’We would want this field to be more like a symbol of Putharikandam’s history. As of now, we are happy that our efforts have borne fruit. I am really looking forward to reap the fruits, the seeds of which were sown by the former Corporation,’’ she said.
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