Bharat Vann Green Initiative: Urban Afforestation via Miyawaki Method

#GS-3 #Environment #Climate Change #Sustainable Development #Biodiversity #Urban Forestry #Miyawaki Method

Key takeaways

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched ‘Bharat Vann’, an urban micro-forest initiative in Central Delhi.
The project utilizes the Miyawaki method to plant over 10,000 saplings across one acre (3,000 square metres).
It features 76 indigenous species and is funded through IIFCL’s CSR framework.
The project integrates community participation via ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ and guarantees a 3-year maintenance protocol.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the ‘Bharat Vann’ green initiative at Lodhi Colony Park in Central Delhi.
This urban afforestation drive is being launched in collaboration with the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

‘Bharat Vann’ is a dense urban micro-forest project developed using the famous Miyawaki afforestation technique.
It involves planting multi-layered indigenous vegetation at high density to rapidly create biodiverse green lungs in urban spaces.
The project is implemented by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
Funding is provided under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) and implemented by the Enviro Creators Foundation.
The main objective is to accelerate ecological restoration, combat Delhi’s particulate air pollution, reduce urban heat island (UHI) effects, and provide community spaces for wellness.

Under the Miyawaki density framework, over 10,000 saplings are planted across one acre (3,000 square metres), allowing trees to grow 10-12 feet within a single year.
The plantation exclusively uses climate-adapted native flora, including 76 distinct species of fruit trees, shrubs, flowering plants, and large shade trees.
It integrates citizen participation through the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, encouraging schoolchildren and women self-help groups to plant and adopt saplings.
The forest area includes integrated wellness infrastructure such as walking tracks and dedicated spots for yoga, pranayama, and meditation under a natural canopy.
A dedicated 36-month (3-year) nurturing protocol is funded via IIFCL’s CSR framework to guarantee high survival rates until the forest becomes self-sustaining.

The forest functions as a natural biological filter in Central Delhi, trapping dust particles and absorbing harmful vehicular gases.
The dense, multi-tiered canopy offers shade and cooling, directly countering heat absorbed by concrete structures and mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect.