Plantation drive to be launched in sectors I-14 and I-15

Islamabad: The civic agency will launch a plantation drive in newly established I-14 and I-15 sectors that would be one of the biggest such initiatives in the recent years.

According to the details, the environment wing of the civic agency is being transformed after posting of new member environment who has been entrusted with the task to increase green cover in the capital city.

The civic agency is still carrying out development work in these two sectors but removal of some green areas for this purpose have raised concerns among the environmentalists. The official record showed that the areas from where tree cover was removed actually meant for roads network in the Islamabad Master Plan. So the civic agency has not made any kind of violation.

As the development work is nearing completion, the civic agency is making preparations to launch massive plantation drive to give green look to these sectors. The drive will involve plantation of thousands of trees along the roads and in parks and other public areas. The selection of plant species will be done in line with the guidelines prepared by the heath and environment wing of the civic agency.

The Environmental Impact Assessment Reported stated "On the basis of the overall impact assessment, more specifically, nature and magnitude of the residual environmental impacts, it is concluded that development of Sector I-15 is likely to cause environmental impacts mainly during its construction phase. However, these impacts can be mitigated provided the proposed activities are carried out and the mitigation measures included in this report are completely and effectively implemented."

An official has said "A plantation cover of appropriate trees/bushes preferably evergreen will be raised in the open green areas and along avenues, as well as medians. However, considering the extremely slow growth of some of the major native tree species viz, ‘Phulai’, wild olive and ‘Jand’, a selection from both indigenous and exotics will be required to be made in a discreet manner."