Monsoon plantation drive to be launched

Islamabad: Monsoon plantation campaign, under PM 10-Billion Tree Tsunami (10BTT), will be inaugurated on the retrieved land at Shakarparain in the federal capital, on August 5.

An official of the Ministry of Climate Change said on Friday that it will be carried out at 100 acres recovered land in Shakarparain where a cricket stadium was planned to be built, in line with the orders of the apex court.

He said the recouped land had a boundary wall around the entire area where it had few trees at the corners of the boundary wall while the rest of the patch or middle area, had only shrub growth. The land in Shakarparian has very limited forest cover which makes it ideal to raise a forest which will help increase the scenic beauty and revive the green area, he added.

He said the exact number of plantation to be carried out on August 5, was yet to be determined where around minimum 25,000 to 40,000 saplings could be planted easily on the site in one day.

The official said: "We plan to plant over a half to a million saplings for monsoon plantation across the federal capital which would be made sure by the district administration on the availability of the saplings.

“Distribution points will be set up for general public to give out free saplings for plantation across the federal capital. The public access to plantation sites will be allowed to incorporate more people in the massive afforestation initiative,” he added.