Pune: The residents of Shirur have embarked on a significant environmental initiative to turn Siddhicha Pahad into a dense forest using the Miyawaki Pattern.
The project, spearheaded by the municipal council and supported by various social organizations and numerous young volunteers, saw over 5,000 trees planted simultaneously.
In a concerted effort marked by dedication and hard work, thousands of volunteers planted a variety of flowering plants, fruit trees, medicinal plants, and primarily indigenous trees in the heavy rain and mud.
The afforestation project kicked off with MLA Ashok Pawar and former municipal council leader Prakash Dhariwal planting the first trees. Chief Municipal Officer Smita Kale performed the tree worship ceremony, and representatives from several organizations joined in the coordinated planting effort.
Experts and community leaders such as Miyawaki specialist Akash Nikam, Shirur City Development Front President Adv. Subhash Pawar, former municipal president Ravindra Dhoble, and Siddheshwar Afforestation Committee head Tushar Vetal played significant roles in the initiative.
Other notable attendees included former Municipal Education Board Chairman Prashant Shinde, Republican Party City President Nilesh Jadhav, Samata Parishad Taluka President Kiran Bankar, Vatsalyasindhu’s Usha Wakhare, Forest Officer S. S. Bhutekar, Prof. Chandrakant Dhapte, Harkchand Barmecha, Dr. Rajendra Dhamdhere, Laxman Doke, Siddheshwar Bagade, Ravindra Dhank, Sahebrao Tamboli, Santosh Walke, and Prasad Lande.
Chief Officer Smita Kale led the project with meticulous planning, supported by office heads Rahul Pisal, Sanitation Inspector D. T. Barge, Pankaj Kakad, and Bhushan Kadekar. The municipal council employees made significant contributions to the tree-planting campaign.
The municipal council prepared for the afforestation project over the past two months. The soil on 25 gunthas of the hill slope on Siddhicha Pahad was loosened by digging up to three feet deep.
The soil was enriched with ten truckloads of compost, manure, and vermicompost, two tons of rice husk, 12 tons of coco peat, and green waste and organic fertilizer.
Dense pits were dug for the trees, and in the first phase, 5,170 trees were planted. A drip irrigation system has been installed to water the newly planted forest.