Web desk 06/06/2020
Electric boats would be used in the Kochi Water Metro project that will begin services from December 2020, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Already, Kerala has the first solar ferry in India (which operates on the Vaikom-Thavanakadavu stretch), Mr. Vijayan said at a webinar hosted by the Council for Science, Technology and Environment.
The Kochi Metro generates about 30% of its energy from solar. In the next six months, it will be 60 percent. The government has decided to increase the use of electric vehicles to reduce pollution levels in the state.
Efforts are being made to roll out 6,000 electric buses by 2025. E-autos too will be introduced on a larger scale (a dozen of them operate in Kochi now).
A Rs.1,200 crore project for cleaning five major canals in Kochi with the help of KIFB has been approved. The Akkulam Backwaters Rehabilitation project worth Rs.64 crores has also been cleared.
“We must think of ways to preserve nature in the wake of the threat posed by COVID-19. Studies show that air and water have become cleaner following the lockdown. Steps are being taken to encourage planting of fruit trees and afforestation. A total of 1,000 acres under local bodies will be converted into green zones by the end of the month,” the Chief Minister said.
Polluted streams, rivers and springs are flowing clearly. From the beginning, the government has been giving priority to soil conservation, fruit tree farming, forestry and water conservation.
For this purpose, the government has initiated and implemented projects from Haritha Keralam to Subhiksha Kerala. Launched on the last Environment Day, the green zones project is moving forward successfully. There are now 627 green zones in 536 acres in 370 local bodies across the state.
