Chapparappadavu (KANNUR): The people of Chapparappadavu are no strangers to innovative approaches to people's participation for local development. The ‘people's bridge' built across the Chapparappadavu river here is a standing testimony to the panchayat's abiding faith in participatory development. Now the panchayat's focus is on expansion of vegetable and plantain cultivation through active public participation.
If the bridge was built with voluntary labour of the villagers, the panchayat's drive to increase vegetable and plantain production is all the more innovative as it involves school students and their parents.
The drive to increase vegetable production, launched in 2008-'09, has proved to be sustainable, yielding a rich harvest.
Actually, the panchayat began focussing its energies on plantain cultivation in 2009-10 inspired by the success of its vegetable cultivation endeavour. “We started vegetable and plantain cultivation schemes as a model for the entire State and named them ‘Ente pachakkarithottam' (my vegetable garden) and ‘Ente vazhathottam' (my plantain garden),” says panchayat president K.M. Mathew.
The panchayat distributed two plantain saplings to the 7,500-odd households and one plantain sapling each to 4,017 students from 11 schools to mark the launch of the programme. In addition, vegetable seeds were distributed in kits to the students coming from 3,000-odd households. Each household produced an average three kg. of vegetables, claims the president.
As for plantain cultivation, 22,000 plantain saplings were distributed and it is harvest time now. “We hope to produce one lakh saplings from the plantain cultivation and it means that we need not buy the saplings from outside for continuation of the scheme this year.” says O. P. Ibrahimkutty, panchayat vice-president.
Marketing fair
With the produce from its gardens, the panchayat was able to conduct a vegetable marketing fair during the last Onam season. Involvement of the school students has also turned out to be a success story.
The Government UP School at Thadikkadavu in the panchayat is a leader in implementing the schemes. One acre of school land was under banana cultivation and 40 cents of land under vegetable cultivation last year.
“The school has taken up the schemes seriously and involved 400-odd students and their parents and teachers,” says Headmaster C.J. Ouseph.
The harvested bananas are being distributed among the students, he says.
source: The Hindu 8July2010
If the bridge was built with voluntary labour of the villagers, the panchayat's drive to increase vegetable and plantain production is all the more innovative as it involves school students and their parents.
The drive to increase vegetable production, launched in 2008-'09, has proved to be sustainable, yielding a rich harvest.
Actually, the panchayat began focussing its energies on plantain cultivation in 2009-10 inspired by the success of its vegetable cultivation endeavour. “We started vegetable and plantain cultivation schemes as a model for the entire State and named them ‘Ente pachakkarithottam' (my vegetable garden) and ‘Ente vazhathottam' (my plantain garden),” says panchayat president K.M. Mathew.
The panchayat distributed two plantain saplings to the 7,500-odd households and one plantain sapling each to 4,017 students from 11 schools to mark the launch of the programme. In addition, vegetable seeds were distributed in kits to the students coming from 3,000-odd households. Each household produced an average three kg. of vegetables, claims the president.
As for plantain cultivation, 22,000 plantain saplings were distributed and it is harvest time now. “We hope to produce one lakh saplings from the plantain cultivation and it means that we need not buy the saplings from outside for continuation of the scheme this year.” says O. P. Ibrahimkutty, panchayat vice-president.
Marketing fair
With the produce from its gardens, the panchayat was able to conduct a vegetable marketing fair during the last Onam season. Involvement of the school students has also turned out to be a success story.
The Government UP School at Thadikkadavu in the panchayat is a leader in implementing the schemes. One acre of school land was under banana cultivation and 40 cents of land under vegetable cultivation last year.
“The school has taken up the schemes seriously and involved 400-odd students and their parents and teachers,” says Headmaster C.J. Ouseph.
The harvested bananas are being distributed among the students, he says.
source: The Hindu 8July2010
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