Miyawaki tech training centre at Warora likely

Nagpur: With the government adopting Miyawaki technique to increase forest cover in state, it is mulling setting up a training centre at Anandvan in Warora.

Akira Miyawaki is a Japanese botanist and plant ecologist whose method involves planting a number of different types of trees close together in a small plot. The method is in use in Japan and elsewhere since 1970 and dense forests have been developed at 1,800 sites having four crore trees with 96% survival rate.

Miyawaki dense forest project, promoted by Dr Sheetal Amte-Karajgi, chief executive officer (CEO) of Baba Amte’s Maharogi Seva Samiti, has been now rechristened as Atal Anand Ghan Van scheme. “Forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Monday said a Miyawaki training centre at Anandvan in Warora was being considered,” Dr Amte told TOI.

“It is a community forestry model under which we have trained at least 900 students in last two years to take up afforestation in their respective areas,” she said. At Anandvan over 13,500 trees have been planted on six small plots. The saplings recorded 100% survival rate.

“We propose to plant 13,000 more trees. In conventional system, we can plant 400 saplings on 1-acre land but with Miyawaki technique, 12,000 saplings can be planted on the same area,” said Dr Amte.

“Soon we plan to meet Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar to highlight the scheme. These plantations can also be taken up on both sides of national highways.

On Monday, during the official launch of 33 crore plantations, Union transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari made it clear in his video message that NHAI planned to plant 125 crore trees along national highways.

Gadkari was all praise for Mungantiwar and sought his help to take up the plantation drive along highways. “Atal Anand Ghan Van can be a solution along highways. Instead of series planting many individual trees, Miyawaki will prove more beneficial for carbon sequestration,” said Dr Amte.

Dr Amte added Miyawaki method was best while promoting ‘legacy forest’. “In Anandvan, we have been doing it for our donors. One such forest is also in the name of Sadhana Baba Amte,” she said. The Amtes also pledged to plant at least 10 lakh saplings during their lifetime.

The social entrepreneur said, “Today planting trees is an environment emergency. The latest UN’s Global Environment Outlook report has warned that world’s one-fourth deaths occur due to pollution and environment damage. Over 14 lakh deaths are reported due to contaminated water.”