Mira-Bhayandar: 10,000 saplings planted to create Miyawaki-style urban forest

To further increase the green cover of the twin-city, volunteers attached to the Making the Difference (MTD), a reputed social welfare organisation, has teamed up with the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) to transform a barren land located in the Indralok area of Bhayandar (east) into an urban forest. 

Miyawaki

Notably, the urban forest is being created through Miyawaki-a unique forestation technique based on the work of Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. Lined up as one of the green initiative projects in the MBMC’s ongoing “Vanmahotsav-2023”, the project which was inaugurated by civic chief-Dilip Dhole is also an integral part of the third edition of state government’s ambitious Majhi Vasundhara (My Earth) Abhiyan. 

Reserved land measuring around 28,000 square feet has been utilized to plant 10,500 saplings comprising more than 55 various species through the Miyawaki method which has the biggest advantage of fast-growing trees on small plots of land and turning them into tiny but more bio-diverse and dense forests. “Such urban forest will not only reduce pollution but also act as the much-needed green lungs for the twin-city.” said Dhole. 

A Corporate Social Responsibility initiative

“We will maintain and nurture the saplings for two years to ensure that the initiative is not limited to just a plantation drive but grows up and the land takes the shape of a tiny but dense forest. While all native saplings have been selected on the basis of recommendations by our botanist, dedicated caretakers have been roped in for proper nurture. Several other NGO’s and companies have extended support under their corporate social responsibility initiative.” said Deepak Vishwakarma, who heads the MTD. 

While pathways have been designed for visitors, the MBMC is also keen to take steps which would attract birds to the urban forest. Before the plantation, the MTD volunteers cleared the garbage-laden plot and gathered plastic waste which was recycled to make two benches.