The Miyawaki Eco Tourism Park, developed by the Rotary Club of Pondicherry Beach Town, RID 2981, is fast becoming a green jewel in the heart of Puducherry (Pondicherry), South India. What was once a sprawling 35,000sqft dump yard at the Mettupalayam truck terminal in the town has been transformed into a vibrant urban forest and eco-park, thanks to the club’s initiative. The Oulgaret Municipality and Government of Puducherry have partnered with the club.
“For over 12 years, the site was an eyesore, a dumping ground for industrial waste. Last Rotary year we resolved to clean it up. It took three months to remove 250 tonnes of harmful debris, which had piled over three feet high,” said club secretary S S Prakash. The waste was disposed of safely by the Oulgaret municipality.
The first phase of the project focussed on converting 17,000sqft of this wasteland into a Miyawaki urban forest. “Using the Miyawaki afforestation technique, known for its dense planting of native species to mimic natural forest ecosystems, we planted 1,050 saplings of 40 indigenous tree species. This method accelerates forest growth and ensures the area becomes self-sustaining in a few years,” he explained.
In the second phase, the club spent two more months developing an 18,000sqft eco-park alongside the forest. This lush park features 900 flowering plants, a butterfly garden with 500 nectar-rich flowering plants, and a herbal garden with 12 varieties of traditional medicinal plants. This integrated eco-park was inaugurated in January by the Union Territory’s Lt Governor K Kailashnathan. “Since then it has become a hotspot for school picnics. Students from nearly every school in Puducherry have visited it. For the older children it gives hands-on education in botany and environmental stewardship. For senior citizens, the park is a peaceful retreat, a place to walk, socialise and re-connect with nature,” said club president Vinod Sharma. The Miyawaki forest was earlier inaugurated by former Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.
Next the club installed a rainwater harvesting system within the park. “Spanning 400sqft, the set-up includes two pits 125ft deep and is designed not only to collect rainwater from the park but also excess runoff from the surrounding areas,” he said. It has a storage capacity of 42 lakh cubic feet.
Now in its 23rd year, RC Pondicherry Beach Town has 37 members. It provides mobility aids to the disabled and support equipment such as hearing aids to children with congenital disorders. Computer labs have been set up in government schools in rural areas over the years.
During Cyclone Fengal which battered South India’s coastal regions in November 2024, the club swiftly mobilised relief efforts. “We were among the first on the ground, delivering essentials such as mosquito nets, water, sanitary napkins, preventive medicines, diapers and milk, even wading through knee-deep water to reach those stranded,” recalled Prakash.