830,000 saplings to be planted during monsoon

Rawalpindi: The Forests Department Rawalpindi South Circle will plant 830,000 saplings under Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign 2019. Talking to this agency, Conservator Forests, Rawalpindi South Circle, Saqib Mahmood informed that all out efforts would be made to make the Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign a success which would be kicked off on Monday.

Nearly 180,000 saplings would be provided to different Defence Departments while 100,000 saplings would be distributed among schools, colleges, health and other Government departments during this season.

As many as 300,000 saplings would also be planted in government forests and over 250,000 in private lands, he added. Due to effective awareness campaigns, the trend of planting saplings had increased considerably and the citizens had started playing their due role.

Plants of different species were available at the nurseries of the Forest department at eight rupees each price, he added. He said the department would plant saplings during monsoon in South circle including Rawalpindi South, Jhelum, Attock and Chakwal districts.

Divisional forest officers and other concerned had been directed to plant maximum saplings with the help and cooperation of the civil society, officials and students during the campaign, he said.

On the directives of the authorities concerned, a comprehensive plan of massive tree plantation had been evolved to bring maximum area under forest cover which was basic requirement to overcome environmental degradation, he added.

The Conservator said that the staff members of the department had been activated to make sure proper forestation in their respective areas which would be inspected by the senior forest officers.

All necessary arrangements had also been made to make the monsoon plantation programme a success which would continue till September 15, he added. He said that the forests play an important role in supporting and maintaining ecological systems and cycles. “The Forests contribute to the many complex processes that are responsible for recycling carbon and water. They also regulate water flows and protect soils,” he added.