Students of nine schools in Alappuzha municipality have joined the Ponnonathottam (Onam garden) initiative of the civic body to produce vegetables and flowers for Onam.
The municipality launched the initiative earlier this month to ensure the supply of safe-to-eat vegetables and flowers to people at reasonable rates during the festival period. It aims to grow a wide variety of vegetables and marigolds on vacant lots and schools.
The schools that joined the farming project are Government Muhammadans Higher Secondary School for Girls, SDV Boys High School, Government SDV JBS, Government Muhammadans Boys Higher Secondary School, CMS Lower Primary School, Holy Family Lower Primary School, TKMM Upper Primary School, Compound CMS Lower Primary School and Sree Shanmuga Vilasam Lower Primary School. Officials say that work on marigold gardens in the schools has begun. Students would create and manage Ponnonathottams. More schools are likely to join the initiative.
The civic body, which launched the project by planting vegetable and flower seedlings on the bypass divider at Kalarcode and Gurumandiram, is in the process of extending cultivation to other wards. Vegetable seeds and seedlings are provided free of cost. The assistance of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme workers has been ensured at all places for creating and managing vegetable and flower gardens. Organic fertilizer for the gardens is provided from nearby aerobic units. This, according to officials, will ensure the best use of organic waste generated in the municipality.
Farming is being carried out using mulching and drip irrigation techniques in most places.
