The Haritha Keralam Mission (HKM) is preparing to expand its ongoing ‘Pachathuruthu’ (green islet) initiative to four more local bodies in Wayanad to mark World Environment Day observance on Wednesday.
The project, to be executed with the support of workers of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Social Forestry department, environmental organisations, educational institutions, and civic bodies, will create green islets in Meenangadi, Mullankolly, Kottathara and Muttil grama panchayats in the district.
The project aims to create green islets by planting endemic tree species on fallow lands to conserve biodiversity. Each islet will have an oxygen park, medicinal plant garden, and a biodiversity park. The HKM has set up 45 green islets in the district under the project and has utilised 20.7 acres. As many as 8,841 plants have been growing in the islets.
Apart from civic bodies, the Mission would set up a green islet at Karapauzha, a major tourism destination in the district, and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation had sponsored as many as 100 endemic plants for the purpose, said the organisers.
