New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Thursday began developing its first dense urban forest using the Miyawaki technique at Lodhi Colony.
The project will feature 76 plant species to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s 76th birthday. NDMC plans to plant 10,000 saplings within a month, of which 100 were planted Thursday. Under suitable conditions, saplings can grow up to 10-12 feet within a year. Launching the drive from Nehru Park, Dwivedi said NDMC had also begun its month-long Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, which will run from Sept 17 to Oct 17.
Because it is based on natural reforestation principles,” Chahal said, it is effective. NDMC also announced that its officials would adopt public toilets in their respective areas and monitor their upkeep and maintenance.
The initiative aims to develop a dense, green urban forest by planting fruit-bearing and shade-giving species suited to the local environment through the Miyawaki method,” Sitharaman said. NDMC said the Miyawaki forest would help enhance green cover, improve air quality and strengthen the area’s ecological balance. During the Brics Summit, NDMC successfully experimented with night-time sanitation operations, and based on the encouraging experience, this initiative will now be expanded and implemented on a wider scale,” he said.
Named Bharat Vann, the one-acre park was inaugurated by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman , who planted the first sapling. “It is one of the most effective tree-planting methods for creating forest cover quickly on degraded land that has been used for other purposes such as agriculture or construction. “Beyond the main roads, we will cover every street, lane and sub-lane within the NDMC area.
“Today, as we celebrate PM’s birthday as Seva Diwas, we have taken a significant step towards creating a Miyawaki Forest by undertaking plantation at a park in Lodhi Colony.