Make Kerala carbon-neutral through greenhouses, says CM

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state should transform itself into a carbon-neutral region by setting up greenhouses.

Inaugurating through video conference the 1,261st greenhouse set up here by the Haritha Kerala Mission, he saidthough the target was to construct 1,000 greenhouses, it was an achievement that 1,261 had been set up in an area of over 454 acres.

“Greenhouses are our great contribution to future generations. Every year, more greenhouses should be set up in this manner and it will be possible with the cooperation of local bodies and the people,” he said.

Thousand more greenhouses are to be established. If there is no public space, interested persons should be encouraged to put up greenhouses in their place, according to Vijayan. Each greenhouse was set up by selecting plants suitable for each area.

The first greenhouse containing rare herbaceous plants was established at Vengode, Pothencode, in Thiruvananthapuram with the help of the botanical garden at Palode. In some places, there were only bamboo shoots and in the backwaters and beaches, mangroves and allied trees were planted in the greenhouses.

The stalks have expanded and green stems have come creating a visible change in the habitat in the last one year. The greenhouses of the mangroves in Kumarakom have made a positive difference to the fishing ecosystem there.

The plants are maintained for three years as part of the project, he said. CPI leader and MLA C Divakaran planted a tree-sapling at the 1,261st greenhouse at Nedumangad block in Thiruvananthapuram district.