When Cyclone Vardah tore through Chennai in 2016, it didn’t just flood homes and snap power lines. It uprooted the city’s green lungs. Over 1.7 lakh trees were lost overnight. As roads lay blocked and neighbourhoods paralysed, volunteers stepped in to help the Chennai City Police clear debris and salvage what could still be saved. Among them was Krishnakumar S, founder of the NGO Thuvakkam, and his small team of green warriors.
Krishnakumar is best known today for bringing Miyawaki forests into the heart of Indian cities. Developed in the 1970s by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, the method recreates natural forests by planting native species very densely in multiple layers—shrubs, sub-trees, trees, and canopy species—allowing rapid growth in small, unused urban spaces. “People usually say we don’t have space to green our cities,” says the 32-year-old. “I wanted to figure out a way to make cities greener with very little land.”
But long before Miyawaki became his method, disaster response was already shaping his work. After Cyclone Vardah, his team moved every in the city, lifting fallen trees back into place using ropes, broken branches, and bare hands. “By sunrise, nearly 100 trees were standing again, given a fresh chance to live,” he says. It was not a one-off effort, but part of a larger belief in protecting city’s spaces.
That belief took root during his college days at SRM University. Sitting at Marina Beach with friends, disturbed by plastic waste and neglect, they decided to stop waiting for solutions. “We always blame politicians or the government,” says Krishnakumar. “But we felt it was also our responsibility.” In 2014, they planted over 60 trees on campus, conducted traffic awareness drives, and registered Thuvakkam that October.
Early initiatives included cleaning and restoring public spaces. When daytime clean-ups drew accusations of seeking publicity, they began working after 10 pm. “In the morning, people would be surprised to see the difference,” he says.
Serious greening began in 2016 with a project, which allowed residents to request trees for their neighbourhoods. Two years later came the breakthrough. The first Miyawaki forest was planted in a school on just 500 sq ft of land, with around 100 saplings. “Initially, people didn’t believe in the method. But visible growth could be seen in six months.”
Requests followed from hospitals, collectorates, and municipalities. One project in Kundrathur transformed 1.5 acres of Patel Park into an eco-park with over 25,000 trees. Today, Thuvakkam has planted more than 40 Miyawaki forests across Chennai and neighbouring districts. “I once thought serving society meant becoming a police officer,” says Krishnakumar. “Now I know collective efforts can do that too.”