Thiruvananthapuram: Police stations in Kerala are all set to go green with trees and flowering plants on their premises, thanks to an initiative by top authorities in the police force.

State police chief Lokanath Behera has issued an order directing heads of police stations to ensure that trees and plants are grown on the premises of all the stations and offices that come under the police department.

The 'eco-friendly' initiative is part of efforts to change the conventional perception about police stations and create a good rapport with the common people who approach the law-enforcers with complaints.

In the order issued to the district police chiefs and unit heads, Behera wanted to make use of all available land on the stations' premises to grow trees and plants, an official statement said here.

However, the directive also requests that exotic trees like acacia, which pose a threat to the ecology, be avoided and instead native fruit-bearing trees and flowering plants be chosen.

The planting and maintenance should not, however, affect daily duties of police personnel at the stations, including parade and training drills, the order added.