Dehradun : Three years ago, on August 20, 2023, a pilot experiment in urban forestry based on the Japanese Miyawaki technique was initiated near Major Vivek Gupta Chowk on the Panditwari Main Road in Vasant Vihar, Dehradun. As part of the initiative, more than 300 saplings of local and regionally suitable species were planted. The plantation has now completed three years, with more than 90% of the saplings surviving. This demonstrates the potential of community-supported urban forestry initiatives in the city.
The plantation was undertaken as a joint initiative by the Research Wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department, Vasant Vihar Doon Valley Officers Cooperative Housing Society, SDC Foundation and SGI Foundation. The species planted included Amaltas, Neem, Bhimal, Tejpat, Drumstick, Parijat, Kachnar and several other native species.
The initiative was conceptualised in 2023 as a pilot urban forest project. SDC Foundation and SGI Foundation took responsibility for maintaining the plantation site for three years to ensure maximum survival of the saplings. The survival of more than 90% of the plants after three years is an encouraging outcome of this urban forestry experiment.
The initiative was inspired by successful Miyawaki projects undertaken in Uttarakhand, particularly the model developed in Kalsi by senior IFS officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi and his team.
Speaking at the programme organised to mark the third anniversary of the plantation, Sanjeev Chaturvedi said that the Miyawaki technique should not be viewed merely as a method of planting trees, but as an approach to restoring local ecosystems and creating ecologically rich green spaces in limited urban areas.
