Want to grow a forest? | Fusion - WeRIndia

Civilization is becoming much more urbanized, and large, industrial cities are, bit by bit, taking the place of areas that were once covered by lush forests and greenery.

Not only does this diminish the beauty of the land, but it also diminishes the quality of the air, replacing the fresh air made by plants with the choking smoke and smog coming from buildings and factories.

However, to tackle this problem directly, an NGO named Kalam Arakkattala has just grown an entire forest in one year.

They set up a dense green patch of land near Avinashi, which is on the outskirts of Coimbatore. The forest itself, Kulleygoundapalayam, was grown on a 22-cent plot of land with the support of the local villagers.

To create Kulleygoundapalayam, Kalam Arakkattala used the Miyawaki method, which was created by Japanese botanist and ecologist Akira Miyawaki.

Miyawaki has been planting forests along the Japanese coastline, in order to protect it from soil erosion and tsunamis. He has dedicated his life to promoting native forests, and he has planted over 40 million trees in over 15 different countries.

Kalam Arakkattala took inspiration from Miyawaki’s methods in their creation of Kulleygoundapalayam, selecting mostly native plants for the forest, with many of them being fruit-bearing plants.

Kalam Arakkattala set out to make an ecological system in which all animals could find space and resources for all of their activities. It has been a surprisingly successful endeavor, and they did not expect as much growth as they got within one year.

The trees have grown so densely that it is difficult for people to even enter the forest. Others have also taken this endeavor to other parts of India. Afforestt, an organization started by Shubhendu, converts any land into a self-sustaining forest within a couple of years.

Within two years, Afforestt has successfully created 33 forests in India.

With organizations like Afforestt and Kalam Arakkattala creating these compact urban forests, the rapidly-growing Indian cities can now receive their much-needed fresh air.

Image Reference: Thebetterindia, Linkedin.com