KARACHI: The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) on Wednesday clarified chopping down trees for the construction of M-9 Motorway section, saying that the organisation did take permission from the Sindh Forest Department – granted to it on April 3, 2017 – and only 190 trees were removed.
The statement issued stated that 190 trees were removed to meet the demand of 12 lanes motorway at the Karachi Toll Plaza.
It further said that the number of chopped down trees was highly exaggerated in certain sections of press—5,820 trees were said to be chopped down—before cutting the trees and shrubs, the concerned department was informed, the statement emphasised.
The FWO is morally inclined and fully aware of environmental issues and to fulfill its moral obligation the organisation under the proposal has already planned 1.6 million tree plantation drive, adding, the process of plantation is also part of this project as per customary laws—any area where trees were chopped down should see a plantation of tree saplings five times more than the number of uprooted trees.
The FWO is committed to giving its best on the national level projects which have already been appreciated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other dignitaries, the statement concluded.
According to sources, FWO has already planted over eighty thousand (80,000) Neem and Palm trees from Hyderabad to Karachi both sides of M-9 motorway and 80,000 is planned to be planted in the next portion.
