A small forest or garden can be an integral part of development of a city. With this idea as an environment ngo, Sashakt Foundation carries out afforestation activities for urban greening and reversing the negative impacts on the citizens from various pollutants. For plantation activity we carry out awareness and initial plantation but the onus of care for the trees lies with the beneficiaries responsible for plantation.
Sashakt has organized various plantation drives at various locations such as:
Sashakt Foundation with effort from Climate Change Department, Government of Gujarat carried out Miyawaki Plantation drive in an empty plot of 400 sq meters provided by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). The plantation was a part of the Mission Million Trees campaign.
Miyawaki afforestation plan aimed to create an urban forest which would in turn improve the air quality and biodiversity of the area. Another objective of the plantation was to showcase the nearby communities’ easy steps that might bring improvements to the natural environment, i.e., plantation, mulching and care of natural environment.
The urban forest that was created was done using special method called “Miyawaki Forest Technique”. This technique promotes planting large number of trees close to each other in a small space, thus creating a competition for sunlight with each other, leading to fast growth of trees in upward direction. Within the small space of just 400 square meters allotted, Sashakt Foundation planted more than 900 trees of 40 different species native to Gujarat. The average height of the trees when planted was 3 feet, which after 4 months had reached 10 feet, with many trees reaching heights of 14 feet and above. The forest has improved the biodiversity of the area. The air quality and ground water recharge through water percolation in the surrounding area has also improved a lot.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Sashakt Foundation has done a project in the schools and community which has already benefitted nearly 1300 school students and 800 citizens. The project was about sustainable practices awareness and implementation of these practices by the participants. Sashakt Foundation conducted Waste Management Training of Public Health Superintendents and Sanitary Inspectors from various wards of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for updating them about segregation of waste and composting methods and its benefits.
Sashakt initiated the project at Pratapgadh village, Lathi Block, Amreli District with a population of 800+ citizens for awareness and execution around solid waste segregation and management at source.
Waste management infrastructure were set up, including transport cycle, segregation shed and compost pit. The organization undertook massive awareness campaign on waste segregation wherein school children, local panchayat and district development authority were engaged with the programme. Various campaigning techniques were used like putting up of posters at strategic locations and conducing regular mohalla meetings.
In Borij, Gandhinagar Sashakt Foundation conducted an awareness campaign with villagers and school students on cleanliness practices. The organization conducted cleanliness drives in the schools and created awareness among the school children. To encourage cleanliness practices, dustbins were distributed among the children to take to their homes. Compost system was set up in schools to teach children about composting and segregation methods. The children participated at the state level science fair and displayed the process of waste segregation. Similar exercises were done at the village level, where cleanliness drives, awareness meetings and distribution of bins was organized.
Sashakt Foundation engaged extensively with about 100 schools to create awareness on environmental issues and related aspects with the help of Dept of education, Govt. of Gujarat and Climate Department, Govt. of Gujarat. Some of the key highlights of the school environment programmes:
Sashakt Foundation, in partnership with the State Bank of India, in the February of 2023, completed it’s highly anticipated Miyawaki afforestation project in Shilaj, Ahmedabad. The 12,000 square meter plot of land provided by the AMC was transformed into a beautiful, dense, man-made forest with the plantation of 12,500 trees using the Miyawaki technique. This initiative is a part of the Foundation’s efforts to combat climate change and make the environment better.
The Miyawaki afforestation technique involves growing indigenous species of trees in a dense forest, which grows up to ten times faster than monoculture plantations, and is 100 times more biodiverse. Before the plantation began, a trial was conducted last year with 200 plants in an area of 66 square meters to test the soil conditions, plant adaptation, temperature, and other parameters. The successful outcome of the trial led to the three-phase plantation of 12,500 trees.
The three phases of the Miyawaki technique implementation process are preparation, roll-out, and maintenance. The site was cleaned, levelled, and the soil was prepared using various soil types, coco peat, rice husk, tobacco powder, vermicompost, bacteria, and other materials. The field was then watered, levelled, marked, and griddled before the plantation. The plants are now undergoing the maintenance phase, ensuring that they thrive and grow into a dense forest.
The Miyawaki afforestation project in Shilaj is anticipated to have a number of beneficial effects, including the planting of 12,500 trees of 88 species (which we have already accomplished), an 80% survival rate, the attraction of other species of flora and fauna, and serving as a model for other urban and rural forests. Sashakt Foundation has a relevant experience of planting more than 25,000 trees in the past with various stakeholders in three states, including a Miyawaki Afforestation in Ahmedabad of 1500+ trees.
