With the Miyawaki urban forests in Mumbai yielding successful results in the financial capital of Mumbai, there are now plans to have similar plantations on a large scale in villages of Maharashtra.
It may be recalled, on Republic Day in 2020, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray formally launched BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation's Miyawaki forest project.
State’s environment, tourism and protocol minister Aaditya Thackeray has taken keen interest in the project.
The Miyawaki method was developed by Japanese botanist and conservationist Akira Miyawaki.
Aimed at restoring and creating indigenous forests, only native species are carefully planted during afforestation in this method. Chemical fertilisers are not used and the forest by this method grows ten times faster and thirty times denser. Where conventional forests take 200-300 years to fully develop, Miyawaki forests produce the desired results in just 20-30 years.
Miyawaki forests absorb 30% more carbon dioxide than conventional forests, reduce noise and dust emissions by 30%, and remain 30% greener.
“This method is considered as a great alternative to our immediate environmental needs. In Maharashtra, this method has been used extensively for afforestation across the State through social organizations and public participation, and also through the efforts of the government,” according to the Directorate of Tourism.
“We have decided to afforest Miyawaki in 500 villages in Maharashtra in the next 4-5 years,” said Shashank Sharma, Head of Projects Maharashtra, SayTrees Environmental Trust, Bangalore.
Earlier, in association with Pani Foundation, the organisation has created forests in five villages in Maharashtra. “The fact that climate change is happening right now is proof that our earth has a deadline. The world needs more people who love the planet,” added Sharma.
In addition to planting trees in the Miyawaki method, the Prayas Youth Foundation is also working on several other activities. The founder and president of the organisation, Ravi Chaudhary has planted about 1 lakh trees at 22 places in Aurangabad district, which includes hundreds of native species of trees. He has created the largest Miyawaki forest in Maharashtra and perhaps in the country at Walunj in Aurangabad. It has 75,000 plants, 70% of which are native species.
Talking about the Mumbai initiative, the Founder of Green Yatri, Pradip Tripathi said, “Citizens should do something on their own rather than waiting for someone else to do the afforestation work. The whole family can join in this and it will be useful to create a good oxygen zone at your home.”
Deepen Jain and Dr. RK Nair’s Forest Creators have planted 97 native species of trees at various locations in Maharashtra.
The urban forests help lower temperatures in concrete heat islands, reduce air and noise pollution, and attract local birds and insects.
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