Three years after its launch on August 20, 2023, a pilot urban forestry project based on the Japanese Miyawaki technique in Vasant Vihar, near Major Vivek Gupta Chowk, has completed a milestone, with more than 90% of its over 300 saplings surviving.
The initiative was undertaken collaboratively by the Uttarakhand Forest Research Institute, Vasant Vihar Doon Valley Officers Cooperative Housing Society, SDC Foundation and SGI Foundation. The plantation included native and locally suitable species such as amaltas, neem, bhimal, tejpatta, moringa, parijaat and kachnaar.
The project was conceived as a three-year pilot to demonstrate the potential of dense, native-species plantation in an urban setting. SDC Foundation and SGI Foundation undertook responsibility for maintenance and monitoring to ensure maximum survival. The survival rate of over 90% after three years offers an encouraging outcome and highlights the importance of sustained care and community participation.
The initiative drew inspiration from Miyawaki-based ecological restoration efforts in Uttarakhand, particularly the model developed at Kalsi under the leadership of senior IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi and his team. The three year period demonstrated that green spaces can be developed within city limits when government institutions, communities and civil society organisations work together.
Pyare Lal, Miyawaki Project Lead at SDC Foundation, attributed the more than 90% survival rate to maintenance, monitoring and community support. Dinesh Semwal of SDC Foundation conducted the proceedings and recalled the plantation’s objectives and journey.
The Miyawaki method involves dense plantation, predominantly using native species, supported by soil preparation and organic matter enrichment. The programme was attended by environmentalists, social workers, community representatives and members of the Vasant Vihar Society.
