Officials directed to finalise arrangements for plantation drive

PESHAWAR: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home & Tribal Affairs Department, Abid Majeed, has called for finalizing arrangements for an extensive seasonal plantation drive across the province.

According to a handout, the meeting was held at the Civil Secretariat Peshawar.It was attended by secretaries, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, and officials from the KP Police.

ACS Abid Majeed emphasized that all government departments and segments of society should be involved in the plantation drive.He instructed the departments, divisional and district administrations, and the police to mobilize resources and take necessary steps for plantations in their respective jurisdictions.

Digital tools, including apps and GPS, will be utilized for timely and accurate reporting and monitoring of plantation activities under the Green Growth Strategy. The strategy includes an extensive plan to plant trees in schools, colleges, university campuses, judicial complexes, police station premises, industrial estates, and roadside green belts.

The public participation will be encouraged and facilitated during the mass plantation drive.The seasonal plantation drive, scheduled for July, August, and September this year, will focus on planting 35 types of forest, 26 types of ornamental, and seven types of fruit trees, with a priority on fruit tree plantation.

The Forest Department will use 5.726 million seedlings in the drive.Other departments will utilize 1.010 million seedlings through their own programs.The meeting was informed that 1.733 million seedlings would be distributed to farmers free of cost.

A total of 0.469 million seedlings will be planted through mass planting events. 0.252 million seedlings will be planted. Defense institutions will plant 1.191 million seedlings. A target of 0.346 million seedlings has been set for educational, religious, and other specified institutions.

Additionally, planting, sowing, and dibbling will be carried out over an area of 64 acres in the Central Southern Region-I, Hazara Forest Region-II, and Malakand Forest Region-III.A total of 248,717 events will be organized for the plantation drive.