Large projects must reserve 5% space for Miyawaki plantations

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Monday, made it compulsory for builders developing plots larger than 10,000 square metres to reserve a portion of their land for Miyawaki plantations

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Monday, made it compulsory for builders developing plots larger than 10,000 square metres to reserve a portion of their land for Miyawaki plantations. The scheme has become central to the civic body’s strategy to re-green the city.

The mandate will soon be incorporated into the city’s Development Control Regulations (DCR), which states that 10% of all plots larger than 10,000 square metres must be reserved as open space or LOS (Layout Open Space) in the city’s development plan. Now, 5% of this LOS will be reserved for Miyawaki plantations, which use a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki to ensure 10 times faster growth of plants. (Pic courtesy: Green Yatra)

The mandate will soon be incorporated into the city’s Development Control Regulations (DCR), which states that 10% of all plots larger than 10,000 square metres must be reserved as open space or LOS (Layout Open Space) in the city’s development plan. Now, 5% of this LOS will be reserved for Miyawaki plantations, which use a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki to ensure 10 times faster growth of plants.

The Building Proposals Department of the BMC has also been instructed to include these terms when providing builders with Intimation of Disapproval, which is a crucial regulatory hurdle that disallows construction projects until certain conditions are fulfilled.

Miyawaki plantations see saplings grow to the height of mid-sized trees in six months. Since December 2019, the BMC has funded or intends to fund the development of such plantations in Malad, Colaba, Worli, Versova, Marol and Priyadarshini Park, and at least 30 other locations across Mumbai.

“Another feature of these forests is that they require regular maintenance for the initial two or three years. After that, these forests continue to grow naturally and continue to provide us with life without interruption. Keeping this in mind, Miyawaki forests can be called the lungs of the city,” said Jitendra Pardeshi, head of the BMC’s gardens department.