Hyderabad: To increase green cover in urban areas and promote native plants, Mahesh Talari, an environmental enthusiast, is using the Miyawaki plantation method to turn open plots into green spaces.
The Miyawaki method is ideal for urban areas as it helps convert degraded plots into lush green spaces. This method increases biodiversity, enhances carbon sequestration, promotes urban greening, and improves the ecosystem. The growth rate of these plantations is ten times faster than natural forests.
Developed by Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s, the method involves using only indigenous trees and plants. This ensures the forest harmonizes with the local ecosystem. Trees are planted very close to each other, promoting faster growth through competition for light and resources. Different plant species are grown closely together, creating multiple layers like shrubs, sub-trees, and canopy trees, mimicking a natural forest structure.
Mahesh Talari, founder of Ever Green Again, explained, “In our urban areas, many open plots are empty or filled with trash. I thought, why not use the Miyawaki plantation method to recreate natural forests with native species, allowing them to grow quickly and become self-sustaining?”
In 2020, Mahesh began planting saplings in open government plots in the city, including Uppal, Lingampally, Cherapally, and BHEL. To date, about 30,000 to 40,000 saplings have been planted, all of them native plants like Jammi Chettu (Prosopis cineraria), Banyan (Ficus benghalensis), and Neem (Azadirachta indica). Only organic fertilizers, such as vermicompost, are used instead of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Miyawaki forests can grow ten times faster than conventional forests and become self-sustaining within three years. The forest is maintained for the first two to three years until it becomes self-sustaining. The Police department and GHMC are supporting this green mission.
Talari added, “The government is encouraging plantation, but mostly in urban areas, avenue plantation with foreign plant species is common. These have a shorter lifespan. It would be better if the State and Central government promoted Miyawaki plantation in urban areas. In the coming days, I plan to extend this method to other states across India.”
