West Bengal govt to create forests using Japanese method

West Bengal government's panchayat & rural development department has decided to create forests across the state using the Miyawaki method, a Japanese method of tree planting that helps in building dense, native forests. The government would be using the 100 day work scheme to implement it.

The Miyawaki method involves planting dozens of native species in the same area, which becomes maintenance-free after the first three years.

This method ensures plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual.

The first such forest would be coming up on 1,000 acres in the village of Shibganj, in Shyampur-I block in Uluberia subdivision in Howrah district. This forest would be named after the famous Swedish environment activist, Greta Thunberg.

Besides Howrah, the other districts where such afforestation has been planned are Purulia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Bankura, Jhargram, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Purba Bardhaman and South 24 Parganas.

According to the plan for the pilot project, 3,280 saplings would be planted on 1,000 acres, which would be able to increase their sizes by 30 times in just seven months with the help of the Miyawaki Method. The plants to be planted are native species species like bahera, bael (wood apple), jamun (blackberry), mango, haritaki, babla, banyan, palash, shirish, tal, karamcha and mahua.

Preparations for the pilot project are on in full swing. A 10-day workshop was organised in Shibgunge where 36 officials from various districts participated.