Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reaffirmed that the State Government’s vision is development that keeps nature at the forefront. He was inaugurating the award distribution ceremony for the best Green Islets in Kerala constituted by the leadership the Haritha Keralam Mission, at the Tagore Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram, on September 16, 2025. “As Kerala steps into a new phase of development, sustainable models are of utmost necessity. It was with this objective that the Haritha Keralam Mission was established, and over the past decade, the Mission has successfully implemented initiatives that have set an example for the entire nation,” the Chief Minister stated.

As part of the mass campaign ‘Ini Njan Ozhukatte’ (Now Let Me Flow...), a total of 92,429 kilometers of water channels across the state were cleaned (including repeatedly cleaned) , restoring natural water flow. In addition, 412 kilometers of rivers were rejuvenated, 29,254 ponds were revived, and 24,645 new ponds were constructed. These interventions have contributed significantly to reducing landslide risks, mitigating the adverse effects of climate change, and combating global warming. The Chief Minister emphasized that Green Islets represent the practical outcome of such measures, and with active public participation, Kerala is poised to become a Net Zero Carbon State by 2050.

The Chief Minister distributed the awards for the best Green Islets. The compendium of outstanding Green Islets of Haritha Keralam was also released on the occasion. The book was received by S. Harikishore IAS, Secretary, Department of Programme Implementation, Evaluation and Monitoring.

Minister M.B. Rajesh presided over the function. A.A. Rahim, MP, Antony Raju, MLA, Planning Board Member Jiju P. Alex, Prof. E. Kunjikrishnan (Chairperson, Award Selection Committee), Dr. T.N. Seema (Vice Chairperson, Haritha Keralam Mission), Dr. J. Justin Mohan (Additional Chief Conservator of Forests), Nizamuddeen (Director General, KILA), and D. Ranjith (Mission Director, MGNREGS) were among those present.