Kerala panchayat shows way to becoming carbon neutral

Meenangadi panchayat had launched the project to go carbon netural in 2016

A Kerala panchayat's initiative to turn carbon neutral is proving to show the way as Jammu and Kashmir recently launched an initiative to make a panchayat carbon neutral as well.

The Palli panchayat in Samba district in Jammu made the carbon neutral initiative with the Prime Minister launching a 500 KV solar plant in April. Now, a delegation from Palli is planning to visit Kerala to look into Meenangadi panchayat's 'Carbon neutral Meenangadi' project, which was launched in 2016.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's declarations at the Glasgow summit last year that India aims at achieving net zero by 2070, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj suggested that all states may initiate projects for becoming carbon neutral. The 'Carbon neutral Meenangadi' project was highlighted as a model by the ministry.

A senior consultant with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj P P Balan told DH that the ministry was impressed by the 'Carbon neutral Meenangadi' project, and hence, it was mooted as a model. Each panchayat can initiate projects that suit the local situations.

The project was initiated as a pilot project of making the entire high-range district of Wayanad carbon neutral. Over two lakh trees have been planted as part of the tree banking scheme that offers incentive of Rs 50 per tree per year to landowners, with a target to plant 5.5 lakh trees.

A climate literacy campaign is also progressing with the aim of making the people aware of the impacts of climate change and thereby prompting the people to take mitigation measures. Other initiatives include setting up of solar power plants, waste management and promoting e-vehicles.

Thanal, a NGO working in the field of environment protection, is implementing the project with support of Kerala government and agencies like NABARD.

Thanal's programme officer Ajith Tomy said that an assessment of the impacts of the work done so far would be carried out in the second phase of the project by next year. Being a high-range district with a large population of farmers, the initiatives to mitigate climate changes were receiving good response. The project's implementation got delayed owing to Covid.