THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Go Green’ should be the slogan of the coming days, said Minister for Panchayats M K Muneer at the launch of the Green Technology Centres (GTC) in selected grama panchayats of the state.These GTCs will function as a source of information on the latest developments in green technologies, showcase green technology devices and maintain a workshop to repair the various green technology devices.“The launch of these green technology hubs will definitely mark the beginning of a massive change in the state. It will have far-reaching implications as green technology will find applications in various sectors, be it solar lighting, construction materials and even waste management” said Muneer.Conceived by a team of scientists under C T S Nair, who formerly headed the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), these technology centres are aimed at narrowing the gap between technology generation and adoption.“Every little advance in the scientific field have to be reflected in our villages too and it is very essential to make these green hubs functional as soon as possible. Green technology becomes increasingly relevant in the backdrop of the climate change,” said the Minister.Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) scientist and Co-ordinator of GTC project Ajaykumar Varma, said that the functioning of the GTCs would be a multi-agency activity with the Local self-Government Department taking the lead along with the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) and the CESS providing the technical support.“The GTCs are important for the Green management of the state’s resources, especially technology intervention to improve energy efficiency and enhance sustainability. Once the pilot projects are fully implemented in the selected panchayats and their functioning evaluated, the project will be replicated in almost all the panchayats in the state. We hope to break even by the fifth year,” said Ajaykumar Varma. The GTCs would also launch a campaign for the adoption of green technologies and address the needs of locally important industries such as coir processing and furniture production among many others and promote the adoption of more energy efficient and environment friendly technologies. The state Agriculture Department, the Kerala Agricultural University and the Kerala Biodiversity Board will provide the necessary guidance and support for the GTC with regard to popularisation of organic farming.CESS director N P Kurian and CESS scientist V Nandakumar spoke on the occasion. A workshop was held alongside the launch for discussing the concept paper on establishing the GTCS. Several NGOs who were willing to hand-hold the panchayats in this projects, officials from various departments and scientists took part in the discussions.
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