Coimbatore Corporation to inaugurate 75 Miyawaki forests on I-Day

Following this, the officials identified suitable lands in the Open Space reserved (OSR) sites belonging to the CCMC in 100 wards with the necessary water supply and irrigation facilities.

COIMBATORE: As part of the 75th Independence Day of the country, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) will inaugurate a total of 75 Miyawaki forests and one nursery across the 100 wards in the five zones of the city on Monday.

Under the clean & green cities initiative, the civic body has earlier announced a project to create a total of 104 Miyawaki forests and green parks in the 100 wards and 5 nurseries across the five zones of the city. Following this, the officials identified suitable lands in the Open Space reserved (OSR) sites belonging to the CCMC in 100 wards with the necessary water supply and irrigation facilities.

CCMC had also asked charitable organisations, volunteers, social activists, commercial organisations, environmental groups, NGOs, and residents’ welfare associations who are willing to establish and maintain the Miyawaki forests and green parks in the OSR (Open Space Reserved) lands of the CCMC, to submit applications for taking up the project and received the expression of interest from a couple of NGOs for the green project.

Speaking to TNIE, CCMC deputy Commissioner Dr M Sharmila said that a total of 104 Miyawaki forests are set to be established across the city in order to increase the green cover and in view of the 75th Independence day of the country, 75 of them will be inaugurated by this Monday.

“The EFI (Environmentalist Foundation of India) NGO will be establishing and maintaining around 25 Miyawaki forests, DHI Green Foundation will establish around 75 forests and maintain them for the next two years and the Kovai Kulangal Pathukappu Amaipu will be taking care of the remaining four forests. Apart from them, one nursery has been currently established in the Vellalore dump yard premises out of the five planned,” she said.DHI Green Foundation’s founder & CEO Dr Dhivya Vasudevan, who is also a farmer told TNIE that they will be planting native species in the Miyawaki forests.

“The Miyawaki forest in the 75 OSR lands will be planted with native tree species and herbal & medicinal plant varieties which include Vembu, Savukku, Maghizam, Naval, Mahogony, etc,” she said. “As far as the Miyawaki forest in the HUDCO colony is concerned, around 300 native tree saplings and 200 medicinal & herbal plants are planted in the 75 cents land belonging to the CCMC. The trees and plants will be irrigated through a drip irrigation system using the water source provided by the civic body,” Dhivya added.