Uttar Pradesh to use Japanese technology to grow dense canopy of 25 crore trees

LUCKNOW: The state government plans to use the Miyawaki method, a Japanese plantation technique that facilitates dense cover in short time and minimal space, to grow 25 crore saplings in UP next year.
The government will enter lease agreements with farmers to raise nurseries on their land and meet the demand for saplings, forest and environment minister Dara Singh Chauhan indicated on Friday as he directed officials to start preparations for the mega exercise.The pioneering plantation technique is named after Japanese botanist and plant ecologist Akira Miyawaki who specialises in seeds and study of natural forests. He is active worldwide as a specialist in the restoration of natural vegetation on degraded land. Using his method, it is possible to grow a variety of native species in as little space as 600sqft. In other words, you can have a mini-forest in your backyard. Sources said land available with the railways, defence and agricultural universities will be surveyed for plantation. Major portion of the budget will be sourced through MNREGA. The nurseries existing in the state and with central government departments will be linked with the forest department’s nursery management system. Cattle-proof trenches will be made to protect the trees. He directed the officials to identify “model plantations” in rural and urban areas and highlight the same to encourage green cover.