Join hands to grow Miyawaki forests: GCC to firms, RWAs

“We will sanction permission to create urban dense forests immediately if the residents’ welfare associations and corporate companies give an expression of interest. People should create urban forests and take ownership,” G Prakash, Chennai Corporation Commissioner, said.

Prakash inspected the first urban forest using the Miyawaki method at Kotturpuram. Officials attached to Adyar zone had cleared the garbage-ridden land and planted around 2,000 saplings at a cost of Rs 15 lakh.

“Presently, we have planted saplings for the urban forest in 30 places and our aim is to create urban forests in 1,000 places by utilising open space/ reserve land. These forests will prevent encroachments and anti-social activities. In total, around 60,000 saplings have been planted in 30 places,” Prakash added.

He said the trees planted in Kotturpuram have grown well and by next year they would attain the growth to self-sustain.

In six months, the public will be allowed inside the Kotturpuram urban forest for walking and other activities. Meanwhile, the civic body will start planting saplings in another two locations in the Adyar zone on Wednesday.

Prakash also requested residents’ welfare association and corporate companies to adopt parks, traffic islands and centre medians for maintenance.

“We will give permission in 48 hours. Corporate companies will get space for advertising on the facilities they are maintaining,” Prakash said.

Meanwhile, the civic body has completed four urban forests in Royapuram zone and plantation work is continuing in other locations in the zone.

It may be noted that none of the urban forests, which has been completed or planned, is in Tondiarpet and Teynampet zones, due to non-availability of suitable space. Among the 30 urban dense forests, the civic body commenced plantation on a piece of land in Madambakkam, which is outside the Chennai Corporation limits but owned by the civic body