A four-acre Miyawaki forest with more than 40,000 saplings in Mysuru’s K.C. Nagar is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 13, according to a report by Prajavani – Mysuru.
The urban forest is being developed beside the Veerayodha A.P. Prashanth Park by the Mysuru district administration and the Mysuru Municipal Corporation, with support from the corporate social responsibility programmes of several companies. The project is intended to add dense green cover within a limited urban area.
The saplings have been planted at intervals of about two feet, following the Miyawaki model, which uses closely spaced planting to create a dense forest-like landscape. The project gives priority to native tree species and includes more than 48 varieties, including banyan, peepal, neem, pongamia, terminalia, arjuna, jamun, mahua, mango and teak.
A drip irrigation system has been installed for each sapling. Municipal officials said the Miyawaki model can help trees grow faster and can support efforts to moderate rising temperatures and absorb carbon in urban areas. The project is also designed in the shape of spectacles, resembling the logo associated with the national Swachh Bharat Mission when viewed from the air.
The K.C. Nagar forest is part of a larger plan by the municipal corporation to grow one lakh saplings across Mysuru using the Miyawaki model. Similar short-forest projects have already been taken up in parts of Vijayanagar Third Stage, Dattagalli, Rajiv Nagar and at the Salumarada Thimmakka Park and Jodi Bevinamara Park. Preparations are also under way to plant more saplings in Vijayanagar Fourth Stage.
The scale of the target places the project within Mysuru’s broader effort to expand urban green cover through smaller, distributed planting sites rather than relying only on large parks. The available report does not provide details on the total project cost, the maintenance contract, the expected survival rate of the saplings or the timeline for achieving the one-lakh target.
The municipal corporation has said the citywide plantation programme is intended to increase Mysuru’s green cover and help reduce the effects of rising temperatures. The next publicly identified milestone is the scheduled inauguration of the K.C. Nagar Miyawaki forest on November 13.
