Tree plantation ceremony held at JMPC

A ceremony was held at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) to plant trees as part of the Greener Pakistan Initiative to celebrate the 71st Independence Day of Pakistan, stated a press release issued on Friday.

Speaking at the ceremony, National Forum of Environment and Health (NFEH) President Naeem Qureshi, informed the audience that the Greener Pakistan Initiative was launched to celebrate Independence Day in a befitting manner and led to the planting hundreds of plants and tree saplings in Karachi and Rawalpindi, the statement added.

The ceremony featured colourful presentations, skits, and plantation activity on a large scale at the hospital premises. Qureshi said that only JPMC so far had witnessed the planting of hundreds of trees and plants under the current drive as the head of the Psychiatric Department of the hospital, Dr Iqbal Afridi, had lent full support to this campaign.

He said that the best care was being provided to these newly-planted saplings, while another 1,000 trees will soon be planted in the hospital premises so that the patients admitted to the hospital, attendants, and its other visitors could be provided a better environment.

Qureshi further said that the Saylani Welfare Trust had been providing all-out support to further the Greener Pakistan Initiative. Under this campaign, 500 trees have been planted in different schools of District Central; 1,000 trees in Police Headquarters Garden; another 1,000 trees in Bin Qasim Industrial Area in collaboration with trade and industry association of the area; 200 trees in a school of Safoora Goth; and 300 trees have been planted in other parts of the city in collaboration with different NGOs.

The team of NFEH also participated in the plantation drive launched by the Cantonment Board Karachi at the Christian Cemetery and in its surrounding areas as 4,000 trees were planted there.

The NFEH also carried out the plantation drive at the “Markaz-e-Umeed” the centre for rehabilitation and education of special children. The NFEH also took part in various plantation initiatives launched by Chairman of District Municipal Corporation Central Rehan Hashmi and other concerned NGOs.

The NFEH also took part in the plantation drive launched by Rawalpindi Waste Mangement Company as under this campaign 500 trees were planted at the landfill site of the Rawalpindi city.

NFEH president said that Greener Pakistan campaign would continue in Karachi till mid-September. People would be provided free of charge saplings to encourage them to participate. The ongoing campaign will witness planting 1,000 trees in 20 schools being managed by the Education Department of the DMC Central, the statement added.