Three significant precision farming-related agricultural projects will be funded by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The initiatives involve establishing a climate-resilient paddy processing facility, installing weather monitoring equipment, and reviving a large paddy field. According to Sampath Kumar P. N., head of CSR at CSL, the firm has provided financial support to the projects in accordance with the CSR strategy, which emphasises environmental sustainability in addition to health, education, and sanitation.

Thottara Puncha, a 1,200-acre paddy field spanning the Amballoor and Edakkattuvayal panchayats in the Ernakulam district and the Velloor panchayat in Kottayam, would be revitalised with the help of the CSL. The agency in charge of implementation is Mulanthuruthy Block Panchayat. In partnership with the local Padasekhara Samithis, the ₹2 crore initiative intends to revitalise the low-lying area by repairing water routes, maintaining sluice bridges, and upgrading irrigation shutters. Initially, the CSL set aside ₹38 lakhs for infrastructure development under CSR.

“The main problem facing the paddy fields is waterlogging, and a lot of money has been spent on their revival in the past. The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in Wayanad provided funds for a project that included drone mapping and a baseline survey. The CSL later emerged to provide financial assistance for the project. Next week, a tender will be released to complete the job, according to Mulanthuruthy block panchayat president Shaji Madhavan. At a cost of ₹12 lakh, CSL will assist in the installation of localised weather monitoring systems in the Mannamkandam village in Idukki and the Vellangallur block panchayat in Thrissur. According to a CSL official, an agro-tech solutions unit for climate-resilient paddy processing will be established in Mala, Thrissur, in partnership with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.