Heard of Miyawaki forests? They may come up in Delhi soon

The Delhi Development Authority on Wednesday put up the draft Masterplan-2041 on its website and invited public suggestions and objections.

Among proposals to curb pollution are Miyawaki forests, smog absorption towers and other technological solutions. So what is a Miyawaki forest?

Invented by and named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, the 'Miyawaki Method' is a unique technique to grow an urban forest that involves planting various native species close to each other. This ensures that the plants receive sunlight only from the top and grow upwards and not sideways.

It requires at least a 20 sq ft area and the plants grow ten times faster. The forest becomes maintenance-free in three years.

"Native species of trees and plants which act as pollution filters should be included in various greening initiatives," thr MAsterplan suggests.