Haritha Keralam Mission is one of the four missions formed by the state government to build a New Kerala. The Mission was launched on December 8, 2016 with the aim of promoting cleanliness, water abundance, water security and safe food production. The Haritha Keralam Mission has already been able to create remarkable changes in various sectors related to ensuring environmental aspects of the state. The Mission's objectives are clear in its unique motto of Water, Hygiene and Harvest. Haritha Keralam Mission consists of three sub-missions related to Water Conservation, Sanitation and Waste Management and Agriculture. Mission activities are carried out practically under the leadership of local self-government bodies. Haritha Keralam Mission works as a coordination support system connecting various departments and agencies with local self-government bodies.
The benefits of the Mission's activities in securing and conserving the essential natural resources of soil, air and water are already visible in the State. The activities of the mission were mainly in the areas of sanitation and waste management, water conservation and water security, agricultural extension with emphasis on organic farming methods and some other related areas. Along with the material gains made in all these fields, the value-based gains made on the intellectual level are also remarkable.
Through diverse and innovative projects, activities and campaigns, Haritha Keralam Mission has been able to bring about positive changes in the sanitation and waste management sector in the state. Activities like the Green Law awareness campaign became a powerful public education program. The mission has been able to participate with social commitment in the cleaning activities that took place in the said areas after the floods and heavy rains faced by the state and in the hygiene and waste management activities during the Covid era.
As part of making the tourist centres of the state garbage free, the green tourism project has been started. A green tourism project has already been started in Munnar on the model of 'Vazhikattan Vagaman'. The Mission has done remarkable work to make Green Protocol a part of social life. It is relevant here that majority of the local self-government bodies in the state have reached the clean status and more than 15,000 government offices have shifted to green status.
Kerala has witnessed remarkable water conservation activities in recent years. River rejuvenation activities were carried out so that the rivers got a new life. The change created in the field of water conservation by the program 'ini njan ozhukate’ (‘Let me flow’) organized with people's participation is amazing. Renovation and recharging of wells and ponds has yielded great results. Various other programmes organized with the aim of water abundance have rejuvenated the agricultural sector too. Steps to assess water resources by installing scales in water sources, mapathon where water sources are marked on digital maps, water quality testing labs for testing the quality of drinking water etc. are some of the distinct water conservation activities carried out in the state.
The Harita Keralam Mission under the leadership of the Department of Agriculture and related agencies and local government bodies has been able to achieve great achievements in the field of agriculture such as extension of agriculture in barren lands, Haritasamriddhi Ward, additional paddy cultivation including upland rice cultivation, extension of organic vegetable cultivation, vegetable cultivation in school premises and land of various institutions and promotion of integrated farming. The action plan to make All ITI campuses in the state as green campuses and the scheme aimed at making maximum number of houses in the state as green houses have also achieved remarkable results. As part of the Subhiksha Keralam project, the work of executing agriculture in public sector institutions under the Industries Department has also yielded results. The Devaharitam project under the Travancore Devaswom Board, which cultivates the barren areas of the temple premises, has also attracted much attention.
'Pachathuruth' (Green islet) project is an innovative and novel venture of Haritha Keralam Mission to make wasteland green. The project aims to protect the natural biodiversity by taking over barren areas including public areas and planting unique trees and indigenous plants. Greening is a practical intervention to reduce the adverse effects of climate change and combat global warming caused by the presence of greenhouse gases. It is a project to plant small forests in any small area starting from half a cent. Haritha Keralam Mission has already managed to complete 2457 green schemes in the state.
The activities of Haritha Keralam Mission were carried out mainly focusing the three sub-missions based on sanitation and waste management, water conservation activities and activities in the agricultural sector.
UNDP – India High Range Mountain landscape project has been successfully completed by Haritha Keralam Mission as Special Purpose Vehicle. The project was implemented in 11 gram panchayats as nine gram panchayats of Idukki district and one gram panchayat each in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.