Mumbai News: The Miyawaki Walk; Japanese Style Rapid Forestation Used In City Greening Efforts

In the 102^nd episode of Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only lauded the glory of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the sea forts built by him, he also waxed eloquent about the benefits of Miyawaki gardening, the Japanese technique of growing forests in cities, which Mumbai has made famous in India.

Within hours of the PM heaping praise on the city’s greening efforts, the BMC decided to work towards another one lakh trees at 12 different locations using the method. Mumbai already has four lakh trees planted under the Miyawaki project. Experts say these trees would rise up to 20mt in 25 years.

Miyawaki Forest Plantation Method

First adopted in Uttarakhand in 2010 on a 75sqm plot by Shubhendu Sharma for shrubs and fruit trees, Miyawaki is a rapid forestation method devised in 1950 by Japanese scientist Akira Miyawaki when he was a graduate student. Now 91 years old, he has already planted 41 million trees. As per the method, a mix of seedlings are planted close to each other so that they grow more taller than wider.

Since 2020, the BMC has planted such urban forest trees at 60 places to help Mumbaikars breathe fresher air amid cemented infrastructure. Officials said birds that had disappeared from the city are now returning owing to these trees. Many NGOs and corporate firms are also helping the civic body in this project, which has also been acknowledged and praised in a letter by the Japanese government.

Environmentalists protest against Miyawaki Method

However, environmentalist Debi Goenka, also the executive trustee of Conservation Action Trust, finds the method “very expensive”. “It’s main drawback is that the trees grow straight up and die where they are,” he said, further asking the government why it gives permission in the first place to private builders and government agencies to cut trees for various projects. “The BMC should save trees that are 50-60 years old. Instead of planting through Miyawaki, it should plant trees the proper way and protect those that are already there,” he said.

Superintendent of the BMC’s garden department, Jeetendra Pardeshi, though, enumerated the civic body’s awards, including the ‘trees city of world’ award from Arbor Day Foundation. “These awards are considered prestigious. The BMC undertakes several programmes to bring down carbon emissions and tree plantation is one of them. In the coming year, the civic body has decided to plant at least 50,000 trees.”

Officials said there are 33 lakh trees in Mumbai and 1,068 BMC gardens. Nandkumar Pawar from Ekvira Aai Pratishthan, a trust working for the environment, said that the Miyawaki method can’t replace an actual forest. “Our ancestors used to say what grows fast is also destroyed fast. One Peepul tree or Banyan tree cannot be compensated with a Miyawaki tree. You can see the difference for yourself. Even animal and bird species enjoy a real forest,” he said.

Pawar added that Miyawaki is just an eyewash. “Trees in cities are being cut indiscriminately. The government just wants to show the number of trees it has planted, which is why Miyawaki is being used. Nature will only be protected if we plant as per nature’s rule,” he said.