Several parts of north India, including Delhi-NCR, are witnessing extreme heat for the last couple of weeks. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Tuesday announced that it has identified 53 acres of land at different places in and around Delhi-NCR to establish the Miyawaki plantations.
In a statement, the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) said that the step is being taken to realise the vision of saturating national highways with a green cover. For that, the NHAI will undertake the unique initiative to raise the Miyawaki plantation on land parcels adjacent to national highways at various locations.
“Some of the sites proposed for development of Miyawaki plantations along the National Highways include 4.7 acres of land area along Haryana section of Dwarka Expressway, 4.1 acres near Sohna on Delhi–Vadodara section of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, around 5 acres each at Chabri and Kharkhara interchanges on NH 152D of Ambala–Kotputli corridor in Haryana,” the ministry said.
In addition, over 12 acres of land at Shamli bypass on NH-709B, 9.2 acres at Duhai interchange on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway near Ghaziabad, and 5.6 acres near the Meerut-Najibabad section of NH-34 in Uttar Pradesh have also been identified.
Ground preparations have already started at the selected sites and the plantation will be taken up during the upcoming monsoon season. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2024.
Why Miyawaki plantations
Miyawaki plantation, also known as the Miyawaki method, is a unique Japanese approach to ecological restoration and afforestation development.
This method aims to create dense, native, and biodiverse forests in a short period of time.
These forests retain groundwater and help to recharge the groundwater table. With this method, trees grow ten times faster and the plantations act as a sound and dust barrier.
For the successful implementation of the Miyawaki plantation method, the focus will be on planting indigenous species of plants that can survive in the local climate and soil conditions.
The development of Miyawaki forests will contribute towards the creation of a resilient ecosystem, offering a range of benefits to both the environment and the local community.
It will also have multiple long-term benefits, which include improvement in micro-climatic conditions such as improvement in air and soil quality. It will also help in biodiversity conservation, rapid growth of green cover, efficient carbon absorption, soil restoration, and habitat creation for local flora and fauna.
Drive to be extended across India
While the NHAI is taking up the drive first in the Delhi-NCR, based on the results, the Miyawaki plantation will be replicated across the country.
An increase in green cover will not only help to enhance the overall health and well-being of citizens living along the national highways but will also add to the aesthetics and pleasure of commuting on them in NCR, the ministry said.
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