GREATER NOIDA: A piece of land measuring over 4 hectares, which had been dug up to extract soil for road projects in the city, would soon be transformed into the city’s first urban forest.
The top soil on this plot had become infertile and had to be conserved for around six months to make it conducive for saplings to grow. The district administration had handed over this piece of land to an IT major, which will develop the urban forest project with help from city-based environmentalists. To start with, 20,000 saplings have already been planted.
“When we saw the area for the first time, the top soil was completely depleted. A lot of soil mining is taking place in Noida because of roads that are being built. The roads are being elevated with soil, but the areas where the top soil is extracted are becoming barren. It is important to conserve these spaces. Else, they will cause dust pollution. Urban forests are a great way to create dense vegetation in cities. This is the first such forest that is being developed here,” said Vikrant Tongad, a Greater Noida-based environmentalist.
An urban forest is usually developed in cities. Worldwide, it is seen as a solution for absorbing vehicular pollution and creating habitats for birds and animals. The move is crucial for Noida and Greater Noida, where the quality of air has been deteriorating over the years. Moreover, it can be an alternative habitat for species such as the nilgai, which might be affected because of the airport project in Jewar.
“Urban forests play an important role in controlling the local environment. The climate is also impacted by the slowing of wind and stormwater. It also filters air and sunlight. They are critical to cooling the urban heat effect and also reduces the city pollution,” Tongad added.
Saplings that would be planted in the urban forest include that of the mango, jamun, neem, pilkhan, sehsut, molsri and barheda.
“We are mixing ficus variety with fruit-bearing trees. This will create a dense forest area, which will help birds build nests and stray wildlife such as the nilgai get shelter. Unlike government drives, where one tree is planted at a gap of three metres, the saplings here will be planted much closer to each other. When plants are planted close to each other, they grow taller at a faster rate. This plot can accommodate up to 50,000 plants,” said Tongad.
The forest will also be using a method called “mulching” or covering the top soil with crop residues to help the soil retain water during dry months.