Navi Mumbai: Over 40,000 trees of almost 60 indigenous species, which were planted between January to March 21, at a Miyawaki plantation at Nisarg Udyan in Koparkhairane, have grown up to 15 feet, NMMC Commissioner informed via Twitter.
"Under Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has set up a Miyawaki plantation at Nisarg Udyan, Koparkhairane. More than 40,000 tress of almost 60 indigenous species, which were planted during January to March21, have already grown upto 15 feet," he tweeted.
"It’s rapidly evolving as a habitat for various rare birds adding to the bio diversity of the region. The project, funded entirely out of CSR, is being implemented through Green Yatra Foundation," the NMMC Commissioner tweeted further.
Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday lauded the Miyawaki plantation initiative stating that the satellite city is leading by example.
"I’ve always believed that cities must lead the way in Climate Action. Here, Navi Mumbai’s urban forests are leading by example. This is just one of the many urban forests set up in the past 1 year across Navi Mumbai & cities like Navi Mumbai in the State. Keep at it Navi Mumbai," Thackeray wrote via Twitter.
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)
