Chalakudy municipality in Thrissur district has launched an ambitious rooftop farming initiative that is already taking root across nearly 100 households. Residents are converting their terraces into vibrant green spaces, cultivating everything from bitter gourd to tomatoes as part of a broader push for community-driven urban agriculture.
The campaign, branded as Let’s collectively set up vegetable gardens, is not only targeting private rooftops but is also rejuvenating underutilised public lands. Among the standout efforts is a community garden project on previously barren land at the Vijayaraghavapuram Kasthurba Centre. This space is being cultivated and maintained by members of the municipality’s neighbourhood collectives and Self-Help Group (SHG) federations under Kudumbashree’s Chalanam membership campaign.
The urban farming mission is being implemented through a decentralised network of 440 neighbourhood collectives functioning under the Kudumbashree Community Development Societies (CDS). Over 2,000 grow bags filled with a soil-manure mix, along with vegetable saplings, have already been distributed across the municipality. The District Mission has allocated ₹1.85 lakh to support the initiative, ensuring financial and material backing reaches every ward.Inaugurating the green transformation at the Kasthurba Centre in Ward 33, the municipal chairman formally planted the first sapling, symbolising community ownership of the project. Various Kudumbashree and CDS leaders were present at the launch, reflecting the cooperative nature of the initiative.
Beyond promoting homegrown food production, the project is expected to serve as a model for other municipalities aiming to enhance food resilience, reduce urban carbon footprints, and promote greener living spaces. Rooftop farming, in particular, is emerging as a scalable solution to urban food insecurity, while also reducing heat islands and improving air quality—an approach aligned with sustainable development goals.
Officials from the Kudumbashree Mission said the programme also complements the six-month-long Chalanam membership drive, which seeks to strengthen the CDS network and position it as a centre of excellence for urban livelihoods and self-sufficiency. With each participating family contributing to the municipality’s collective harvest, the campaign is fostering stronger ties between ecological well-being and community empowerment.This locally driven green revolution is also reviving Kerala’s traditional food culture, empowering residents—especially women—to produce chemical-free vegetables and reduce dependence on market supply chains. The programme stands as a tangible example of how grassroots environmental action can support broader goals of zero carbon cities, gender equity, and sustainable food systems.
As the first wave of cultivation begins to flourish, Chalakudy’s rooftops are being transformed into productive ecosystems—bringing together households, collectives, and public spaces in a climate-resilient, low-impact initiative. In doing so, the municipality is planting the seeds of a greener, more self-reliant urban future.
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