HOSAPETE: In a first for the state, a large-scale Japanese-style Miyawaki forest project is set to take shape in Kudligi taluk, with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman scheduled to launch the initiative on June 5 at Chikkajogihalli village.
The ambitious afforestation project aims to plant one lakh saplings over the next two years under the Miyawaki method, a Japanese technique of creating dense forests in small areas within a short span of time. The initiative is being taken up as part of World Environment Day celebrations.
Preparations are underway on more than 10 acres of land belonging to the Horticulture Department at Chikkajogihalli village, where nearly 15,000 saplings will be planted in the first phase. Land clearing and pit-digging works are progressing rapidly ahead of the inauguration.
The project will focus on greening barren and unproductive lands across the taluk, including government lands and private farmlands owned by interested farmers. Saplings of tamarind, wood apple, gooseberry, jamun, lemon and other native species, along with neem and pongamia trees, will be planted as part of the programme.
Dr N T Srinivas, MLA, Kudligi, said the Miyawaki-based forest farming model would benefit the rain-dependent region by promoting greenery in unused lands and encouraging sustainable agricultural practices.