Rawalpindi : A plantation campaign under Prime Minister’s Programme ‘Plant for Pakistan’ was started at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR), here on Monday.
The event was arranged by the University Green Office and PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman kick-off the campaign by planting a tree of Jacaranda in the University. During the event, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University along with all Deans and Directors participated in the event.
Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman said that Pakistan is among the top 10 countries that are at high risk to climate change. The remedy to mitigate the impact of climate change undoubtedly lies in planting more and more trees, he added.
He said that trees are the lungs of the earth, and we should plant trees to save lives and coming generation. He further said that environmental pollution and temperature is increasing every day due to highest deforestation rate in the country. Trees can serve as green shelter during extreme climate conditions thus making earth cooler for animal and human life. He invited others departments of the University to be part of the tree plantation campaign.
Earlier, the vice chancellor along with former vice chancellor of University of Agriculture Faisalabad Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan inaugurated the Green Office Nursery. The vice chancellor further said that University set a target of planting 15,000 trees at Main Campus, Sub-Campuses, Affiliated Campuses and University Research Farm, Koont in this campaign.
The Director, University Green Office, Shahid Ali Khan told that the University Green Office is a platform for students and employees of the University where sustainable ideas are shaped, plans are put together and projects are launched, all with the objective to make the university more sustainable. He further informed that a Plant Nursery was established under this office in which almost 20,000 plants have been grown. These plants will be distributed free of cost to the students and local community to strengthen the Prime Minister’s Campaign ‘Plant for Pakistan.’