TUDA initiates 'Miyawaki forests' in Tirupati suburbs

Tirupati: After initiating a park with high-density plantation in the city suburb, Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) has now developing two more such urban forests in another half-acre land in Gandhipuram Panchayat area and two more acres at Gaja Lakshmi layout. Adopting the Japanese concept where a noted Botanist Akira Miyawaki developed a new afforestation method in 1980s, TUDA has been developing three 'Miyawaki' forests in Tirupati suburbs now.

Under this innovative method, various saplings are planted at half a metre so that they can grow quickly in small areas and consist of densely packed trees and shrubs ideal for cluttered urban landscapes. In this method, the growth in plants will take relatively lesser time compared to a conventional forest. Different species of plant saplings are chosen for this biodiverse forest and planted in a multilayer process.

While the first Miyawaki forest has been taken up at Avialala Panchayat in about 1.3 acres wherein 4,200 plants of different species are planted, for the second such forest about 1,800 plants of 100 species are chosen for plantation. These consists of medicinal plants, those which can give more oxygen, fruit bearing and flowering plants. Similarly, in Gaja Lakshmi layout also more plants consisting of various species will be planted. There the compound wall works are going on now.

TUDA Chairman Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and Vice Chairman S Harikrishna have been showing special interest in these forests. Speaking to The Hans India, Harikrishna said that they want to develop more such forests at vacant lands in urban areas which can help in bringing the ecosystem as it attracts fauna like bees, butterflies among all other things which can be found in Seshachalam forest.

However, the major challenge involved in this was that they could not get more varieties of saplings. To overcome the deficiency of plant material, TUDA has been developing its own nursery and after which it will have sufficient number of varieties in its possession. He said that at a low cost, forests can be grown which will have many advantages.