The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC)--to protect reserved plots from encroachment--has adopted an unique idea of fencing such plots with trees and transforming them into temporary gardens or play areas for citizens until they are used for a particular purpose. Dr Vijay Suryawanshi, Chief, KDMC, held a meeting last month with all civic ward officers and several NGOs and urged them to protect reserved plots from encroachments by planting trees around them. Dr Suryawanshi also ordered the ward officers to reduce illegal constructions on a few plots. The request made by Dr Suryawanshi has got a good response. With the help of various NGOs and environmentalists, KDMC is planting trees on nine such reserved plots that would open for the public once the monsoon ends. On KDMC’s appeal, various NGOs like Rotary Club of New Kalyan, Eye Nature Foundation, Morning Walker Group Kalyan, Rotary Club Dombivli West, Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratisthan, Kalyan Runners Group, Kalyan Janata Sahakari Bank, and Innerwheel Club have stepped forward to plant trees on these plots. With the help of various NGOs and environmentalists, KDMC is planting trees on nine such reserved plots that would open for the public once the monsoon ends. Dr Suryawanshi told the media that the purpose is to save 343 such open reserved plots. While numerous NGOs and environmentalists have stepped forward to plant trees on nine reserved plots, some others have also shown interest in planting trees on 25 other lands. By doing this, they can protect lands from encroachment until they are used for their actual purpose. On Monday, Dr Suryawanshi held a meeting again with Sanjay Jadhav, the chief of the gardening department and other officials and instructed them to construct walking tracks, cricket nets, kabaddi grounds and tennis courts on lands bigger than 500 metres. Sanjay Jadhav told the media that, till now, several NGOs like Eye Nature, Nana Dharmadhikari Pratisthan, and others planted 15,000 trees on nine reserved plots. Once the rains end, the public can use these plots. The KDMC has begun developing reserved plots as gardens in Umbarde in Kalyan (West), Swarajya Neptune in Ambivli west and Tharwani project in Titwala, among others. Activist Shashikant Dayma told the media that KDMC’s initiative is highly appreciable since by building more grounds and play areas, it would also form a green belt in the city which will aid in preserving the environment. Additionally, KDMC is making a biodiversity park on 40-acre forest land in Ambivli by planting 12,000 saplings to recompense for trees cut for the Kalyan ring road project. The land will be made into thematic gardens like a bat, bee, bird, butterfly, medicinal and nakasthatra gardens. Image Source