Attempts to plant trees in Puliyarakonam, 13 km from the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city in Kerala, began in 2006 but each of them ended in a failure. The area suffers from severe water scarcity, the terrain is largely rocky, and the ground is a fairly steep incline. The trees would grow for two or three years before drying up in seasons of acute drought. Nearly a decade later, in 2015 to be precise, Hari M. R. heard about the Miyawaki Model of Afforestation for the first time. He studied it in detail for two-three years, and eventually put up a Miyawaki forest in the plot for the first time on 30 January 2018.
The growth of the trees and plants in the first Miyawaki forest at Puliyarakonam was nothing short of extraordinary. Despite the 45 degree incline of the site, the plants and trees shot up quickly. They helped retain water, attract micro-organisms and small creatures, and create a thriving ecosystem. You can see more details here