Civis Body On Massive Biodiversity Mission With CSR Funds
Navi Mumbai to have India’s largest Miyawaki Forest with over a lakh of trees of indigenous varieties.
NAVI MUMBAI, May 6 (The CONNECT) - Targeting to make Navi Mumbai an environmentally friendly city, the civic body has launched a mega project to create the country’s largest Miyawaki Forest with over a lakh of trees incorporating over 60 varieties of indigenous trees.
Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has already planted over 68,000 trees at Jewel of Navi Mumbai, a public park at Nerul node, where the urban forest is coming up.
NMMC commissioner Abhijit Bangar has reviewed the status and directed his team to quickly complete the project.
The forest will have variety of trees such as lemon, tamarind, Spanish cherry and banyan.
The civic body has planted over 2,20,000 trees over the last two years. Plantation of over 60,000 Miyawaki type and 20,000 other varieties will be during this month, before the onset of the monsoon.
NMMC, through not-for-profit Green Yatra, has recently completed a Miyawaki project at Kopar Khairane with a thick urban forest of 40,000 trees.
The civic body has also planted 40,000 of the targeted one lakh trees near Morbe dam that supplies drinking water to the city.
Bangar said the city has a pleasant experience with Miyawaki forest at Kopar Khairane node in the city where plants of one foot to two feet have grown to 15 feet trees. The fruit-bearing trees have started attracting birds, contributing to the biodiversity. A notable feature of the forest is that recycled water from the most modern sewerage treatment plant (STP) is being used for the plants, Bangar explained.
The green drive is being managed through CSR funds of various companies and the maintenance for three years is also being taken care of. NMMC is not spending a single rupee, Bangar asserted.
The Commissioner has also directed the Garden Department to go for Miyawaki forests wherever suitable open space is available.
