A major urban forestry initiative has been taken at Tiruchirappalli district in Tamil Nadu by District Collector S Sivarasu. The step taken by the IAS officer is turning out to be one of the biggest plantation drive in the whole state. With almost 1.5 lakh saplings planted in Konalai village, the district is setting new records.
Climate change and other environmental issues have become a major priority for every country in the world. With new challenges coming in the way of people, many bureaucrats have started focusing on the betterment of the environment. Tiruchirappalli city, which lies almost in the centre of the state, is counted among the cleanest and safest cities for women in Tamil Nadu. The initiative of urban forestry taken by Mr. Sivarasu is based on the Japanese Miyawaki model.
THE IDEA
The Miyawaki technique was invented by the Japanese legend Akira Miyawaki. The 92-year-old man has restored degraded forests and soil at several places all over the world through this unique technique. The Miyawaki method, which is also known as the Potted Seedling Method, is an afforestation technique that uses native species to create dense, multi-layered forests.
Previously an IAS officer, Mr. Alby John, from the same state adopted the same technique to transform degraded and abused urban spaces in Chennai into dense forests. Adapting same technique, Mr. Sivarasu carried out the urban forestry project in the Tiruchirappalli district.
THE INITIATIVE
The plantation drive through the Miyawaki technique has been carried out at eight places in the district so far – the latest being at the Konalai village where 1.5 lakh saplings were planted on 13.75 acres of land. Collector Sivarasu also planted a sapling as a symbolic gesture to kick off the drive at its inauguration ceremony.
Other than Konalai, the plantation drive has also been carried out at Pullambadi where 20,000 saplings were planted. 15,000 saplings were planted at Lalgudi whereas 10,000 each at Srirangam and Samayapuram. Another 1.5 lakh saplings were planted in Irungalur, 50,000 at Poonampalayam and lastly 8,000 at Inam Samayapuram.
BENEFITS
The initiative not only involved the officials in the administration but also volunteers, environmentalists and workers of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREGA) scheme. More than 300 people were involved to carry out the project in the district.
