Scheme to be implemented through biodiversity management committees of local bodies
Scheme to be implemented through biodiversity management committees of local bodies
At a time when rapid urbanisation and other forms of human activities are posing a threat to plant biodiversity, the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) is making an effort to conserve and popularise locally important as well as endangered species with help from local bodies.
The board has announced ‘Haritha Gramam’ (Village Forest), a project designed for decentralised biodiversity conservation which will be implemented through the biodiversity management committees (BMC) of the local bodies.
As the name suggests, the aim is to create tiny ‘forests’ in public land and school compounds by planting fruit trees. Additionally, these green lungs will feature endangered plant species from the Kerala part of the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats region, KSBB said.
Each ‘Haritha Gramam’ should cover at least 10 cents of land. Only plants/trees found locally and species that are considered threatened in Kerala should be selected for planting. The village forests will be created and managed with the help of the Kudumbashree units and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers.
“One aim is to protect and propagate locally relevant species. We have prepared a list of the endangered species that can be included using the red data book prepared by the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI),’‘ KSBB member secretary Santhosh Kumar A. V. said.
Earlier this year, a JNTBGRI research team had prepared a first-of-its-kind Red Data Book listing critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable plants in Kerala under a project funded by the KSBB.
In addition to propagating important fruit trees and plants, the ‘Haritha Gramam’ scheme is also meant to improve awareness about locally available plants among the public.
The KSBB has asked BMCs interested in participating in the scheme by November 30.
