5,000 saplings to be planted along Lahore Ring Road

LAHORE:To increase the tree cover of Lahore, a special plantation drive under which a total of 5,000 indigenous tree saplings will be planted along the Lahore Ring Road was launched here Thursday.

WWF-Pakistan in collaboration with Parks and Horticulture Authority, Lahore Ring Road Authority, and Afforestation Lahore, initiated the plantation drive. Lahore Commissioner launched the drive under the government's Clean and Green Pakistan initiative. Lahore, once known as the City of Gardens, has rapidly lost urban green spaces to make way for the swelling population. Such plantation drives will maintain the groundwater table, improve air quality and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change. The drive was organised at Col Arif Alam Shaheed Interchange, Lahore Ring Road, where approximately 100 saplings of native trees were planted.

In burgeoning cities like Lahore, lack of greenbelts and increased concrete cover has led to elevated temperatures. Nationally green patches in cities are being replaced by new development projects and housing colonies. The subsequent cutting of trees not only escalates greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions but increases temperature and vulnerability to extreme weather events.

Speaking on the occasion, Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan said, plantation is a great initiative, it will help to improve tree cover in the city. Climate change is real, and it is affecting us through extreme weather events, drought, floods and heat waves. It is important that such corporate organisations and passionate citizens come forward and extend their support for a clean and green Pakistan. Pakistan has the highest annual deforestation rate in Asia and forest cover is less than 2% of the total land. We have already initiated such plantation drives near metropolitan cities to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change. He emphasised the need of public-private partnerships to promote the cause of environment in the country.

WWF-Pakistan initiated a nationwide plantation campaign, Rung Do Pakistan in 2018 that is contributing to increase the green cover of the country while afforestation and forest restoration had been a key component of the organisations conservation strategy for decades. Rung Do is an opportunity for the entire country to come together and play their part in contributing positively towards protecting our ecosystem.

Security reviewed: Lahore Division Commissioner Asif Bilal Lodhi reviewed the security measures for the Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and the Urs of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh Ali Hajveri to be held on October 20, 2019.

The commissioner said that directions had been issued for patchwork, cleanliness and anti-dengue spray on the route of main procession to be taken out on the Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), and the Urs. He said all events would be monitored by the central control room and mobile CCTV equipped vehicles.