Kerala will become a carbon-neutral State and achieve net zero status by 2050, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal has said.
He was inaugurating Haritha Theertham, a model project launched by the Kareepra grama panchayat to use water from abandoned quarries for irrigation. “Greenhouse gas emissions should be brought down to the minimal level for protecting environment. The State government has launched elaborate programmes for the same. Kareepra and Veliyam panchayats in the districts have been selected as carbon neutral panchayats,” said the Minister. The Haritha Theertham project is being implemented in coordination with the Haritha Keralam Mission while Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT) is providing the technical support.
As part of the Haritha Theertham project, water from the 20-acre quarry pond will be used for agriculture and allied activities. Kareepra, a major paddy producer in the district, has 1,856 hectares of agricultural land and the project was conceived to address the water scarcity from January to May. Water from the quarry will be pumped using solar-powered motors to irrigate wards that include Ulavukode, Vakkanad, Nedumankavu, Kodikode and Ettuvayikode. While water will be used for irrigation purpose only, the Minister has instructed to explore the possibilities of using it as potable water.
Due to the scenic quality of the project site, the officials are also exploring the tourism potential of the area. District panchayat president P.K. Gopan presided over the function while Navakeralam district coordinator S. Isaac, block panchayat president Abhilash, Kareepra panchayat president P.S. Prashobha, people’s representatives, and political leaders were present.
