RAWALPINDI: The forest department will plant over 1.7 million saplings during spring tree plantation campaign 2018 in Rawalpindi region starting from February 15.
Talking to APP, Rawalpindi Circle Conservator Forests Syed Athar Hussain Shah said that divisional forest officers and others concerned have been directed to make all-out efforts to achieve the set target for their respective areas. They have also been instructed to plant maximum saplings with the help and cooperation of the civil society, officials and students during the campaign.
He said that efforts were being made to achieve the target fixed for plantation campaign and according to the directives of the authorities concerned. He added that a comprehensive plan of massive tree plantation has been evolved to bring the maximum area under forest cover, which is a basic requirement to overcome environmental degradation.
He also said that the staff members of the department had been activated to make sure proper forestation in their respective areas, which will be inspected by the senior forest officers.
In order to promote social forestry, the youngsters had been associated in afforestation plans, Athar said, adding that special emphasis is being given on plantation of shrubs and deep-rooted plants on the banks of Murree Expressway to prevent land erosion and landslides. He added that the saplings will be planted in Murree area under bioengineering work, a landslide control technology.
He informed that the Forest Department would plant saplings on 10,600 acres of land in the shape of caboodle. He added that stumps would be planted on 156 acres of land where 45.58 million new potted plants would be raised.
He said, the Punjab Forest Department has established 354 sale points throughout the province with 22.36 million saplings would be sold in order to help the general public and they would be encouraged to play its role in making the spring season tree plantation campaign a success.
He said that 12 million saplings will be planted during the tree plantation campaign, adding that targets of planting 5.85 saplings on forest lands, 0.71 million on lands of defence institutions, 2.22 million on other government departments’ lands and 3.22 million on private lands had been fixed.
