Green Yatra was started in 2008 with the initiative ‘Go Green Ganesha’. With this campaign, Green Yatra took a stand against the harmful plaster of Paris (POP) idols. Idols made from POP threaten marine life and Green Yatra aims to encourage people to adopt eco-friendly sculptures. The Green Yatra, after its initial success, became involved in issues such as urban forestry and rural livelihoods. Green Yatra aims to find innovative and sustainable solutions to fight the problems caused by climate change.
Achievements of Green Yatra
In 2018, Green Yatra managed around 100 tonnes of waste in Mumbai as part of its ‘Bag for Cause’ campaign and distributed 20,000 cloth bags for cleanliness and awareness.
Green Yatra believes in celebrating eco-friendly festivals to keep the environment clean and healthy. For this, the organization distributed more than 5000 paper bags in the awareness campaign and encouraged people to recycle.
In 2019, Green Yatra planted 7000 saplings according to the Miyawaki afforestation method in 2 phases in Jogeshwari, Mumbai. With this unique effort, this is Mumbai’s first Miyawaki forest spread over 20,000 square feet.
What is Miyawaki?
The special thing about the Miyawaki method is that it can be started by planting two to four trees per square meter. The Miyawaki method involves planting dozens of native species in a single area. After the first three years, the forest becomes self-sufficient and requires little care. This method ensures that plant growth is 10 times faster and 30 times denser. Miyawaki methods help to lower temperatures, reduce air and noise pollution, attract local birds and insects, and create a carbon sink. The Miyawaki Forest is essential for mitigating the problems in cities turning into concrete jungles.