DK Schools to have ‘Akshara Kaithota’ gardens

Mangaluru:’ Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has initiated Akshara Kaithota’ (a kitchen garden) initiative to grow vegetables, fruit-bearing plants in 1,000 schools. funds from Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in association with the Horticulture Department and the school development and monitoring committees will be used to develop the gardens.

On Wednesdy July 4th, Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr M.R. Ravi spoke at a workshop on ‘Akshara Kaithota’ for school headmasters of Mangaluru taluk, in Mangaluru and said that the children will get nutritious food through the garden. It will also help in inculcating ‘farming culture’ amongst the school children. Along with fruit-bearing plants even vegetables and leafy vegetables will be grown

There are 1,456 schools in Dakshina Kannada of which 407 schools already have vegetable gardens. a total of 1,40,000 mandis will be created under MGNREGS, which will provide employment to 3,800 job card holders, informed the officer. Akshara Kaithota can be developed in 942 schools under MGNREGS and the gardens will be created at other schools through the help of donors, the CEO added.

There are 730 schools with more than an acre of land, but the entire land will not be used for laying the garden. For this year, the garden will be laid on 107 acres of land. However, schools in urban areas face shortage of space. Therefore, it has been decided to cultivate vegetables through grow bags.

State-level and the higher authorities appreciated the vegetable gardens developed in 407 schools in the district in the past and have issued guidelines to have such gardens in all schools across the state.

Bio fencing has been planned at schools that do not have compound walls in rural areas. Jatropha saplings will be planted to create bio fence. Schools can also grow teak wood. The Horticulture Department has 40,000 teak saplings which can be collected for this purpose, explained the CEO.

“The vacant land in the school can also be used to planting medicinal plants. The school development and management committees should take keen interest in such activities,” said Zilla Panchayat president Meenakshi Shanthigodu.