Mumbai: BMC makes Miyawaki plantations mandatory for projects over 10,000 sqm

To increase the city’s green cover, the BMC has made Miyawaki plantations mandatory for construction areas of over 10,000 sq metre. The policy decision was taken by BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Monday. Accordingly, the Building Proposal Department will now include the condition in Intimation for Disapproval (IOD) whereby the permission for construction can be revoked in case of violation of rules.

Miyawaki has been encouraged for last three years

Miyawaki, the innovative Japanese technique for plantations, has been encouraged for the past three years. For this, more and more trees are planted in smaller spaces so that they grow vertically rather than horizontally. It also ensures enriching open spaces faster than usual.

The BMC has set a target to plant four lakh trees under urban forests at 64 locations across the city. Mostly large flowering/shade-giving trees, bamboo, palm, ground cover, grasses, fern, creepers/climbers and shrubs are planted.

Will give technical guidance for this: BMC official

BMC’s Garden Superintendent Jitendra Pardeshi said, “As per the Development Control Rules, while constructing a building, it is mandatory to have a fixed space as open area. Now, while constructing on land larger than 10,000 sq metre, the builder will have to develop a Miyawaki forest on 5% of the designated open space. The civic garden department will also give technical guidance for creating such urban forests.”

Miyawaki ensures faster growth, denser plantation

The Miyawaki method was pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s. In 2019, the BMC appointed contractors to plant saplings using this concept in 61 open spaces. The technique ensures 10 times faster growth, resulting in 30 times denser plantation. The BMC has adopted the method to create a mini forest in civic gardens and open spaces in its jurisdiction. In the past two years, over two lakh trees have been planted, a civic official claimed. 

Around 57,000 trees were planted under this concept in Bhakti Park at Wadala in 2020. Similarly, last year, 139 species of trees on 3.2 acres of land were planned under a project at Marol along the Mithi river.