A time-bound plan to phase out hazardous chemical pesticides in Kerala, transition to safer agricultural practices and a mission-mode programmes for paddy and plantation revival, climate mitigation and river management have been proposed in a citizens’ environmental charter prepared by the Kerala Paristhithi Aikya Vedi, a collective of environmental organisations and civil society groups.
The ‘green manifesto’, titled ‘From Forest to Sea: An Environmental Policy Framework for Kerala’ was released by senior journalist M.G. Radhakrishnan, and the first copies were received by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president P.C. Vishnunadh and former Agriculture Minister and senior CPI leader Mullakkara Ratnakaran at a function held in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
The charter, which assumes significance ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, calls for integrating ecological considerations into planning, budgeting, infrastructure design, agriculture, industry and urban development.
One of the key proposals is the creation of a Kerala Climate Action and Resilience Mission to coordinate climate mitigation and adaptation efforts across government departments. The mission should integrate climate considerations into development planning and help align policies related to agriculture, infrastructure, energy, land use and disaster management.
