Environmentalists threaten to move court against cutting trees

Islamabad  :Member Planning and Environment of Capital Development Authority (CDA) Asad Mehmood Kiyani has said the trees are being removed from the area that has been designated for expansion of the Embassy Road in the Master Plan of the capital city.

"The trees are not being removed from the green belt because this area has been designated for expansion of the Embassy Road in the Master Plan. We carry out the development projects according to the Master Plan and nothing illegal is done by the civic agency," he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that some 200 big trees would be removed for expansion of the Embassy Road and the environmentalists have threatened that they would move the court against this activity that has been banned by the local administration.

The CDA has technology to dig out full grown trees and replant them at alternative places but it has not yet been used while removing trees from the Embassy Road. The civic authority also changed the layout plan to save pine trees during the construction of the Zero Point Interchange.

Asad Mehmood Kiyani said an environment assessment report has been approved before expansion of the Embassy Road and they would plant trees at alternative places to maintain green character of the city.