Chandigarh, Dec 27 (IANS): A project to rejuvenate urban wastelands using the Miyawaki forest method, a concept inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on “Mann Ki Baat” programme in June 2023, is aiming to transform 5,500 yards into a green forest in Punjab’s industrial and the most polluted city Ludhiana to fight climate change and curb pollution levels.

The project comes in the wake of rejuvenating additional two acres in association with the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (LMC).

A total of Rs 2 crore is being spent in two phases for the new project with the preservation and planting indigenous trees, a Ludhiana-based firm said on Friday while announcing a pilot initiative in Chandigarh to expand its environmental and social responsibility.

It has also approached the Municipal Corporation to rehabilitate abandoned parks using the Miyawaki method, Miyawaki plantation, the Japanese method of creating dense urban forests in a small area.

The Prime Minister in his monthly radio show “Mann Ki Baat” also cited the example of a Kerala-based teacher, Raafi Ramnath, who used the Miyawaki technique to transform a barren land into a mini forest called Vidyavanam by planting 115 varieties of trees.

Creating green spaces in urban spaces is the need of the hour, especially in the light of cities choking under pollution and rapid development.

In addition to its environmental endeavours, the company has planned to provide employment opportunities to retired Agniveers under the Agniveer scheme.

Responding to PM Modi's call for industries to support retired Agniveers, the group has decided to reserve five per cent of its future recruitment for them, with a goal to employ 250 Agniveers in the future.

An official of the firm that took responsibility for the project emphasised that Agniveers' discipline and training would be valuable assets for the company, which currently employs 5,145 workers and aims to reach 10,000 employees by 2029.