Abdul Ghaffar, SDO of the Forest Department, said that Japanese scientist Akira Miyawaki introduced this method of afforestation in urban areas in 1970.

With this method, forests can be planted in cities from one marla to a few acres. This idea was developed in view of the role of trees in the “lungs of the earth”. This method has also been adopted in Pakistan and the Forest Department has planted model forest on five kanals of land in Khushab district.

Miyavaki forests in cities can make the environment cleaner and healthier in order to combat greenhouse gases as well as water, air and ground pollution, the official said.

The soil is deeply excavated and contains a variety of local nutrients and fertilizers, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, in the soil. The land is level and there are big trees, bushes, herbs and grass growing on it.

Elaborating further,  he said that distance has been ensured between certain types of trees, while synchronized trees are planted close to each other and special care is taken for their upbringing.

Joharabad is being touted as a specimen of the Miyawaki forest because it was grown in the original Japanese way.

He claimed that the total expenditure on the forest in three years was Rs. 612,000 which is very low considering its importance and usefulness. District Forest Officer Naseem Iqbal Butt said the Miyawaki method produces 10 times more trees in an area than natural forests. “Forests grown in this way are denser than natural forests.”

He added that urban forests not only help eliminate pollution in densely populated areas but also create beauty and make the environment pleasant.

About 25 species of trees and plants have been planted in the Miyawaki Forest of Joharabad, including Sahanjana, Behera, Sikh China, Spinach, Sheesham, Darikh, Bacon Bottle Brush, Table Palm, Kachnar, Jaman, Papal, Fetix, Kakar. Are , Santha, mulberry, mara, pearl, rose, amlatas and neem.

Similar trees have been planted and the distance between them is based on the principles of the Miyawaki method. “A lot of work has been done by our staff to model the Miyawaki Forest of the Khushab Forest Department, as announced by the Federal Ministry,” he said.

Commenting on the plans, Arshad Nadeem Malik, an arborist, said the responsibility for the Miyawaki Forest Department has been handed over to the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA).

The project has been assigned to the Forest Department in Khushab and PHA in Sargodha. The forest department has the best staff for planting trees. He said the forest department was spending about Rs. 7,700,000 per acre on the Miyawaki scheme, including its conservation cost. The PHA is reportedly spending Rs 2.9 million per acre on forest grown in contrast to the Miyawaki method.

He finished saying, “The government should hand over all forests to the forest department.”

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