Chennai to get third Miyawaki forest, in Mugalivakkam – Times of India

The Miyawaki forest that exists in Valasaravakkam has more than 700 saplings of 45 different species

CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has started work on developing a third Miyawaki forest in the city, in Alandur zone.
Miyawaki method is a Japanese technique of growing different varieties of trees in a small patch of land using organic manure.
Already two such forests have been created on small patches of land. The first one is besides the Kotturpuram MRTS station, falling in Adyar (zone 13). The second one is in Rayala Nagar in Valasaravakkam.
While the one in Adyar has 2,000 saplings of 40 species of trees on around 20,000 square feet of land, the one in Valasaravakkam has more than 700 saplings of 45 different species on a 6,000 square-foot land.
The one in Alandur zone will come up in Blooming Garden Road in ward 156 (Mugalivakkam) on a similar sized plot. There will be 2000 saplings in 35 cents of land. The trees are likely to create a dense foliage within two years.
Regional deputy commissioner (south) Alby John visited the spot on Saturday and also planted a sapling. “Though the land was identified and we had prepared to plant it in early March, Covid-19 delayed the plans. However, after a good spell of rains, we decided to start the plantation and finish it in a week,” Alby John said.
In the Miyawaki scheme, trees are grown with a gap of 1 metre. Traditional tree varieties like Poongan, Peepal and Neem trees would be planted on this. Fruit-bearing trees would also be part of the forest, which would form a canopy. The Miyawaki system uses organic manure and soil for growing trees.
In the process, soil would be dug up to four feet to plant the trees. Wet waste (converted to manure), coir, cow dung and other similar material is used as an organic manure.
According to GCC’s calculations, the 2,000 trees in Kotturpuram would consume 11.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide and give out four tonnes of oxygen in the first year.