2,000 female green workers grow, protect 30,000 juniper trees

Islamabad : A tree plantation campaign initiated under Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project in Hingol National Park has helped improve socio-economic conditions of 2,000 female green workers.

According to the details provided by the climate change ministry, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the ministry to also provide green jobs to women that could also play an effective role in tree plantation campaigns all over the country.

An official said “As a pilot project we coordinated with local non-government organizations and talked to the local communities for the hiring of women as green workers.”

“Some 2,000 women came up and vowed to work for the success of tree plantation campaign. These women planted 30,000 juniper trees and became ‘neghaibans’ to ensure their safety and protection against all odds,” he said.

The official said “These women diligently perform their duties and never allow goats, camels and other animals to enter into the the area where juniper trees have been planted.”

He said: “As part of the project these women have been provided with sewing machines and financial support and now all of them stitch clothes and earn a livelihood.”

The official said “The green jobs are not only helping in increasing tree cover but also improving socio-economic conditions of the local communities.”

He said that the Juniper forest in Balochistan is considered ‘Living Fossils’ and is the second-largest forest in the world and one of the oldest slow-growing Juniper trees in the world.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said Balochistan covers half of the country in the area needs special attention and the government would plant 10,000,00,00 trees in the province till 2023.