Chief Minister’s Award for Best Greenery Pockets; Screening Underway

An expert committee is now evaluating the best “Pachathuruthu” (greenery pockets) established across Kerala by the Haritha Keralam Mission. This initiative is part of efforts to combat climate change and restore the environment. Local self-government bodies, schools, colleges, and various organizations have created these greenery pockets with public participation, turning them into biodiversity hotspots.

Out of the 4,030 greenery pockets covering 1,272.89 acres statewide, those that ranked first in the district-level evaluations are now being screened by the expert committee in Thiruvananthapuram starting on September 10. The first-place winners at the local government level were: Karavaram Grama Panchayat (Thiruvananthapuram), Kollam Corporation (Kollam), Thumpamon Grama Panchayat (Pathanamthitta), Mavelikkara Thamarakkulam Grama Panchayat (Alappuzha), Kallara Grama Panchayat (Kottayam), Nedumkandam Grama Panchayat (Idukki), Pallippuram Grama Panchayat (Ernakulam), Varavoor Grama Panchayat (Thrissur), Kanjirappuzha Grama Panchayat (Palakkad), Perinthalmanna Municipality (Malappuram), Kozhikode Corporation (Kozhikode), Thondarnad Grama Panchayat (Wayanad), Muzhakkunnu Grama Panchayat (Kannur), and Ajanur Grama Panchayat (Kasaragod).

The second and third-place winners will also be screened. Awards will be presented to the state-level winners and district-level awardees on September 16, 2025, at Tagore Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram. The event will begin at 10 AM with a technical session where the award winners will share their experiences. The award ceremony will start at 6 PM, inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The event will be presided over by Minister for Local Self-Governments and Excise, M.B. Rajesh, with the participation of Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty and Minister for Finance K.N. Balagopal. According to Dr. T.N. Seema, Vice Chairperson of the Haritha Keralam Mission, the event will also feature the announcement of 60 lakh saplings planted as part of the “Oru Thai Nadam” public tree-planting campaign, which aims to plant one crore saplings. Additionally, several books will be released during the event, which will be attended by people’s representatives, environmental scientists, and officials.

With input from Keralanews.gov

For more details: Navamalayalam.com