Innovation in restoration

17 June 2021

Developing more than 38,000 sq. m of forests in urban ecosystems through innovative methods

Deforestation and forest degradation are the major contributors to global warming and climate change today. To help restore some of these fragile ecosystems we at L&T are proactively taking steps through tree plantations and urban forests in our campuses. L&T campuses undertook an extensive programme to improve the forest cover in urban areas across a total of four locations within Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

We adopted a unique method of afforestation to develop forests in an approximate land area of 38000 sq. m. A total of more than 2,00,000 trees were planted and nurtured across locations such as Talegaon and Bidkin in Maharashtra and Coimbatore and Erode in Tamil Nadu. The trees chosen were local, such as neem, mango, guava, seesham, amla, gulmohar etc. for better harmony with the environment.

The method, called the Potted Seedling Method, is an afforestation technique that uses native species to create dense multi-layered forests by selection of species, preparation of field mound, mulching & organic manuring, planting multi-layered saplings, watering, and monitoring. These forests prove useful to several birds, insects, reptiles, and mammals. Mounds of soil, biomass and moisture-retaining materials allow roots of plants to penetrate faster and foster quicker growth, thus increasing biodiversity in the area.

L&T started the development of these forests around five years ago and multispecies tree plantation is expanding year on year. The technique was extensively studied and researched and in just one year the trees showed substantial growth of over three metres in height. These closely planted trees are native to each region and complement each other for successful growth and co-existence.