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3 dense forests to come up in Navi Mumbai
In an effort to increase the green cover, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has decided to build three dense forests in the city.
In an effort to increase the green cover, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has decided to build three dense forests in the city.
This is for the first time that the civic body has decided to develop such forests in its jurisdiction, a senior officer said.
According to the NMMC’s tree department, one spot has already been decided at Nerul, near the Jewel of Navi Mumbai Park. The other two spots are yet to be selected.
Nitin Kale, deputy municipal commissioner of NMMC, said, “Under the Centre’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, we have turned three plots of barren land at Ghansoli, Vashi and Nerul into green zones over the past two-and-a-half years. The project was a success. This time, we have decided to develop three dense forests which will increase the city’s green cover.”
“An area measuring almost three acres near the Jewel of Navi Mumbai Park at Nerul has been chosen. We are considering an area at Ghansoli but a final decision is yet to be taken. We will decide after conducting surveys,” he said.
NMMC will plant saplings of big trees.
The green spaces will be no-entry zones for the public.
Kale said, “We are not allocating separate budget for the project. We will try to execute this by roping in non-governmental organisations and with corporate social responsibility funds of private firms.”
“After the places are selected, we will take a few months to level the area and make them ready for planting saplings. Workers will water the saplings,” he said.
This year, NMMC has planted around 1.10 lakh saplings across the city, including 1 lakh saplings near Morbe dam.
They have plans to plant 15,000 more saplings this year.
