RAWALPINDI: The citizens have been urged to come forward and play their due role to enhance forests and greenery which would help control the problems of environmental pollution caused by rapidly rising population.
Chief Conservator of Forests, Northern Zone, Rawalpindi Ather Shah Khagga said the Forests Department, Northern Zone would plant over three million saplings during Spring Tree Plantation campaign.
Talking to APP he said, the spring tree plantation campaign 2019 had been launched in the zone and all-out efforts would be made to make the campaign a success.
Ather Shah said the International Day of Forests celebrated every year on March 21 to highlight the importance of forests and greenery. He said the day is celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
On the day, the citizens are encouraged to undertake efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns, he added.
He urged the citizens to play their role as it is need of the hour to increase the forest area by accelerating the speed of plantation process adding, the government could not achieve the task alone and the people belonging to all walks of life should come forward and play their role in this regard.
He further said that the main objective of Tree Plantation Campaign is to create awareness among people to plant maximum trees so that the climate change problem could be addressed properly.
He informed that “PLANT FOR PAKISTAN DAY” was inaugurated on Feb 9 and the department planted 201,099 saplings in Northern Zone, Rawalpindi against the set target of 166,000, nearly 121 per cent of the target up to Feb 15.
He said that an event of Plantation Ceremony in-connection with “Plant for Pakistan Day” was also held at Islamabad-Murree Dual Carriageway.
Over 1000 saplings of different species like Chir pine, Rubinia, Poplar and others were planted by all participants. He said that during current Spring Tree Plantation Campaign, 2019 sector-wise target of Northern Zone, Rawalpindi had been fixed 30,000,000 including 970,000 for government forest, 460,000 for different government departments, 490,000 for defence and 10,80,000 for private lands.
The Chief Conservator expressed the confidence that the targets would be achieved by the end of spring season.
He disclosed that over 42 per cent of the total targets have been achieved so far and the spring Tree Plantation Campaign 2019 is in full swing in Northern Zone, Rawalpindi which comprises Rawalpindi and Sargodha Civil Divisions.