65000 Trees Across 2 Cities: Meet the Man Who Is Growing Urban Forests in Chennai & Hyderabad

In a world where cities are turning into concrete jungles and gas chambers due to the loss of trees and excessive pollution, meet Krishnakumar S, who is helping to bring back the rhythm of nature. 

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His journey of transforming barren lands into thriving spaces for biodiversity started as a college initiative. Back then, Krishnakumar and his friends began Thuvakkam – a Tamil term meaning 'the beginning' – in Chennai to revive the city's greenery.

From empty plots to dense mini forests

The Thuvakkam community used the Japanese Miyawaki technique to restore the greenery and natural balance of the urban landscape.

Developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1970s, the Miyawaki technique creates dense, self-sustaining forests by planting native trees and shrubs close together. Mimicking natural forest layers, it helps trees grow up to ten times faster than usual. 

With proper soil preparation and care, these green patches soon thrive on their own, restoring nature even in urban spaces.

Over the years, Krishnakumar and his volunteers have created more than 40 forests and planted over 65,000 native trees, turning barren city lands into green sanctuaries. 

From roadblocks to roots of change

Good things take time, and for Krishnakumar and his community, transforming the city land into a green haven involved challenges. From government approvals to securing land and managing water shortages, the process became difficult.

In 2016, cyclone Vardah devastated Chennai, uprooting numerous trees, flooding neighborhoods, and wiping out months of hard work.

The community wasn't the one to back down; instead of giving up, they decided to rebuild these green lungs from scratch.

Taking green hope from Chennai to Hyderabad

Spreading hope and greenery from Chennai, the Thuvakkam community is now greening Hyderabad too. Creating forests near the lakes, which are improving air quality, recharging groundwater, and reducing the heat of the land.

These green patches are bringing back birds, reconnecting people with nature, protecting the planet, and leading the way to make cities breathable once again. 

Every sapling planted stands as proof that one person's belief can bring life, restore green cover, and hope to our cities.