47m saplings to be planted this monsoon

Islamabad: Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (r) Nasir-ul-Mulk Wednesday kicked off the annual monsoon tree plantation campaign with a pledge to make Pakistan green.

The prime minister planted a sapling of Pinus Roxburgh here at the PM House. Caretaker Minister for Climate Change Muhammad Yusuf Shaikh and senior officials were present at the launch ceremony.

The ministry of climate change has set a target of planting 47.14 million saplings during the monsoon this year at national level in collaboration with the provinces, armed forces, police, civil services, local bodies, corporations, municipalities, autonomous bodies, jails and educational institutions.

According to the targets Punjab would plant 9 million, Sindh 11 million, KPK 15 million, Balochistan 0.6 million, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 3.6 million, Gilgit-Baltistan 0.5 million, the areas previously under FATA 5.3 million, National Highway Authority 0.5 million, International Union of Conservation of Nature 0.5 million, Pakistan Ordinance Factory 20 thousands, Ministry of Defense 1 million, Aeronautical Complex 20 thousand and Heavy Industries Taxila set the target of 1 lac.

This plantation will be besides the one undergoing in the Green Pakistan Programme. The tree plantation campaigns are frequently conducted to highlight the important role of forests in the improvement of environment, to counter negative impact of Climate change and poverty alleviation.

The Government has initiated a massive tree planting programme in all the provinces and territories of Pakistan through the Green Pakistan Programme. The programme envisages planting of 100 million additional saplings throughout the country to make Pakistan Greener. The total cost of the programme is Rs3.652 billion over a period 2017-2021.