THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The first ‘pachathuruthu’ (green space) established under the aegis of Haritha Keralam Mission (HKM) will turn five on June 5. The space was inaugurated on World Environment Day in 2019, when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan planted a ‘neermathalam’ sapling on the compound of the family health centre in Manalakam ward of Pothencode panchayat. All the plants, including the ‘neermathalam’ have grown and blossomed, transforming the area into a small forest.
Birds have made nests on bamboo and other trees, with the presence of butterflies and dragonflies creating a vibrant biodiversity habitat. The green island is primarily filled with medicinal plants such as adalodakam, mehendi, white pine, red sandalwood, marotti, ashoka, neem, ankola, analivegam, kanjiram, neermaruthu, chittaratha, camphor, nagadanthi, yashang, and nagalingam tree. In addition to these, other local biodiversity-supporting plants are also grown.
The green space is a successful initiative of the Haritha Keralam Mission aimed at environmental restoration. It identifies vacant government land, public spaces which turned into wastelands, and barren lands to plant and nurture saplings using the services of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and Ayyankali Employment Guarantee Scheme under the leadership of local self-government institutions, ensuring local biodiversity.
The green spaces are significant in the efforts to make the state carbon-neutral by 2050. Over the past five years, the HKM has established 2,950 green islands across 850 acres in various locations statewide. This year, as part of the World Environment Day celebrations on June 5 and the following days, an additional 1,000 green spaces will be initiated, said Dr T N Seema, coordinator of Navakeralam Karma Padhathi and HKM vice-chairperson.