Mumbai sees barren patch turn lush green zone in 8 months

Forests grown under Miyawaki method – developed by Japanese botanist and plant ecology expert Dr Akira Miyawaki – grow 10 times faster and 30 times denser than traditional plantation techniques, with any average plantation supporting 45 saplings across 150 sq. foot.

In the past eight months, a 20,000-sqft area in Jogeshwari has witnessed a transformation – from a barren patch to a lush green zone.

Miyawaki plantation inside Central Railside Warehouse Company Limited at Goregaon in Mumbai, India. (Photo: Hindustan Times)

Mumbai’s first Miyawaki plantation at the Central Railside Warehouse Company Ltd (CRWC) premises at Jogeshwari (East), with close to 7,000 native plants, has shown the speed at which the city can develop pockets of green cover within a short period of time as opposed to traditional plantations.

Last month, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced its plans to grow 100-odd urban forests using the Miyawaki technique across 61 plots in Mumbai. Forests grown under Miyawaki method – developed by Japanese botanist and plant ecology expert Dr Akira Miyawaki – grow 10 times faster and 30 times denser than traditional plantation techniques, with any average plantation supporting 45 saplings across 150 sq. foot.

HT was the first to report on February 8 about environment group Green Yatra’s efforts to plant 48 different native species such as neem, karanj, kanchan, saptaparni, kadmab, sagon etc. that have grown from being three-foot tall to a maximum of 13-foot within eight months, while bamboo saplings are 15-foot high. “We planted 3,000 saplings in February that have witnessed a survival rate of 95%. Remaining 4,000 saplings were planted on June 5 and July 15, which have also grown six-foot tall,” said Pradeep Tripathi, founder, Green Yatra. “This is Mumbai’s first successful plantation using the Japanese methodology.”