German envoy visits BTAP sites in Mardan, Peshawar

PESHAWAR: German Ambassador Martin Kobler along with other international delegates on Wednesday visited the Billion Tree Afforestation Project (BTAP) sites in Mardan and Peshawar Forest divisions.

During a visit, the ambassador was accompanied by the Secretary Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department (FE&WD) Syed Nazar Hussain Shah and other officers from forest department.

The foreign dignitaries visited roadside plantation on Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway, and Gari Chandan Plantation spreading over an area of 46,000 kanal raised on communal land.

The foreign delegation was briefed by conservator of Forest Southern Circle and DFOs Mardan and Peshawar Forest Divisions. They shared details regarding field activities carried out under BTAP.

The German ambassador appreciated BTAP and added that efforts made by the forest department as well as by the community are worth praising.

The ambassador stated in a tweet: “Impressed by the Billion Tree Tsunami, I went to Ghari Chandan and other places in KP to see the plantation sites. Couldn’t count the huge number of trees I saw. This project will certainly lead to more rain. Environmental protection should be above party politics,” he added.

Later, the secretary FE&WD, briefed the German ambassador and said the department raised 1.18 million seedlings under BTAP, increasing the forest tree cover by 6.3 percent.