Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, is slowly becoming a concrete jungle. To increase the green cover in the city the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) is using a Japanese technique of plantation called the ‘Miyawaki Method.’ The officials claim that this method requires very little space like one can have 10,000 plants in a one-acre area. The plants grow ten times faster, and the forest becomes maintenance-free in three years.
Urban development minister Shanti Dhariwal has recently initiated the plantation drive with the Miyawaki method at the Jawahar circle of Jaipur. The JDA is planning to plant 1.20 lakh shrubs and plants in a 30000 sqm area in 10 different parts of the city and outskirts of Jaipur.
The government is planning to use this method in other cities of the state also. The urban development minister Shanti Dhariwal said: “Tree plantation is being done in all the major cities of the state as well as on the roads to improve the environment and we are planning to use this technique as one can plant more trees in less space.”
This is the method
The method was invented by and named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. Under this dozens of native species are planted in the same area, close to each other. The plants receive sunlight only from the top and grow upwards than sideways.
- In this method, it is necessary to use only native plants.
- Use biomass that is both spongy and dry like rice or wheat husk or groundnut shells to ensure smooth and quick perforation of water to the roots.
- Add some water and moisture retainer, like cocopeat or sugarcane bagasse.
- Mulch the soil with agro-waste to protect the soil and plants.
- Add some manure or vermicompost and some beneficial microbes for nutrition.
- For plantation dig a one-meter deep pit and plant 3-5 saplings with a distance of 60 cms and level the soil around the stem of the plant
- Insert support sticks in the soil and tie the plants with them.
- Keep the area free from weeds for the first two years and water the plants once a day.
What is Miyawaki forest?
Pioneered in the 1970s by botanist and plant ecologist Akira Miyawaki of Yokohama National University in Japan, the micro forestation model seeks to expand the green cover on the earth by nurturing mostly indigenous species of plants in small patches of land. A Miyawaki model forest can attain growth within five to ten years, whereas a natural forest takes 25 to 30 years to gain the same level of growth.
The model has been replicated across continents, especially among communities where the pressure on land is heavy. It has proved effective in fending off ill-effects of environmental degradation and climate change by conserving biodiversity, saving plants from extinction, shielding communities from natural disasters and serving as a bulwark against atmospheric and noise pollution
(With PTI inputs)
