Tree plantation drive inaugurated in Kaghan valley

MANSEHRA: The Forest Department on Wednesday formally inaugurated the tree plantation drive in Kaghan valley where over 1 million trees would be planted during the current season.

“Though the provincial government has been taking effective measures to preserve the ecology of the Kaghan valley but this tree plantation drive would also play an important role to stop the soil erosion to protect the natural treasures,” Hamid Ali Khan, the assistant commissioner, Balakot, told the tree plantation ceremony held in Garhi Habibullah.

He said that the people of Balakot tehsil suffered huge human and financial losses in the 2005 devastating earthquake because of the landslide which was triggered by the deforestation.

“I invite the people to take part enthusiastically in this tree plantation drive not only for their own but for the welfare of other people,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Sardar Farhad, the divisional forest officer Kaghan, said that his department brought the deforestation to almost nil in the division.

The DFO said Kaghan forest division would plant over 1 million trees during the drive stretched across the Kaghan valley.

“I would never tolerate any discrepancies in tree plantation and every official would be made accountable for each and every tree being provided to farmers and landowners,” said Farhad.

He said that the protection of the planted trees was also an equal responsibility of its grower and forest department and he would never tolerate the negligence of any official and custodians of his department.

The assistant commissioner also formally inaugurated the tree plantation drive in the Kaghan forest division planting saplings in Garhi Habibullah.

Meanwhile, five people sustained critical injuries when a passenger jeep plunged into a deep ravine in Mera Madakhail area of Torghar district.

The driver of the jeep, which was on its way to Torghar from neighbouring Buner district, couldn’t hold control over the steering at a bumpy road and skidded off the road and plunged into the deep ravine. The locals rushed on the spot and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital.

Those injured included Binyameen stated to be the driver, Gul Mohammad, Mohammad Hanif, Mohammad Batain and Mohammad Riaz.