THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With just three weeks to go for Onam, many rural areas in Kattakada are already in full bloom to welcome the festival of flowers. This year, most of the people in the constituency will lay floral carpets (athapookalam) in front of their homes with locally grown flowers, thanks to a project led by local legislator I B Sathish. This is the pilot phase of a programme to make Kattakada self-sufficient in Onam celebration.
Under this, individuals and women self-help groups were encouraged to start flower plant cultivation. Now, six hectares of land in six panchayats here are full of marigold blooms in three different shades. “Several women and self-help groups are participating in the programme. This is devised as an income-generating model. The entrepreneurs will sell flowers to local vendors. This year, we hope that people need not depend on flower imports from Tamil Nadu as in previous years,” Sathish told TNIE.
The MLA has plans to continue cultivation even after the festival. “This has turned out to be a success. We will encourage more people to take up horticulture. Adequate support will be given to them with the help of government departments,” he said.
Self-help groups will be encouraged to launch their own marketing ventures for the sale of flowers and value-added products like garlands, bouquets and wreaths, according to Sathish. Land Use Board Commissioner and coordinator of the horticulture project A Nizamudeen said marigold seeds were brought from Bengaluru. Financial support was given to farmers under the PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and funds of local self-governments.