Chalakudy/ Thrissur: Green canopies will start sprouting across the terraces of nearly 100 houses in various parts of the Chalakudy municipality, transforming rooftops into vegetable gardens. These leafy green canopies will host a range of vegetables including bitter gourd, snake gourd, green chillies, tomatoes and more. In addition to rooftops, public spaces across the municipality are also set to receive a lush green makeover.

The initiative, aimed at achieving a bumper vegetable harvest, is being implemented through 440 neighbourhood collectives in the municipality. As part of the campaign titled ‘Let’s collectively set up vegetable gardens,' grow bags and saplings have already been distributed to residents.

A key highlight of the project is a community vegetable garden being developed on barren land at the Vijayaraghavapuram Kasthurba Centre, jointly maintained by SDS committee members and neighbourhood collective volunteers. The project is spearheaded by Kudumbashree as part of the planning activities under the Chalanam membership campaign in Chalakkudy CDS.

So far, over 2,000 grow bags, filled with soil and manure, along with vegetable saplings, have been distributed to various wards through Kudumbashree CDS. The District Mission has allocated ₹1.85 lakh for the implementation of the project.

In Ward 33, vegetable cultivation at the Kasthurba Centre was formally inaugurated by Municipal Chairman Shibu Valappan, who planted the first saplings.

The event was presided over by CDS vice chairperson Jomol Babu and attended by CDS governance committee member Sindhu Jayaraj, Upajeevanam sub-committee convenor Sanu Joji, ADS chairperson Indira Babu, Secretary Sukanya Sanesh, Community Organiser Neehu Abhilash and Kudumbashree mentor Rasiya Mambatt, among others.

All SDS units within the municipal limits are now actively engaged in preparations as part of the six-month-long Chalanam membership programme, which aims to make the urban CDS a centre of excellence.