KARACHI: The District Municipal Corporation Central has planed to gradually replace the existing Conocarpus Erectus-the mangrove plant species deemed unfriendly for environment- planted in District Central of the city with more beautiful and shade trees and plants. This was stated by DMC Central’s Chairman while speaking at a seminar on environmental protection held at Karachi Medical and Dental College the other day. He informed the audience of the seminar that some 100,000 trees and plants would be planted in the district by December, 2017, out of which 8,000 saplings had already been planted. DMC Central had procured four water tankers dedicated to further tree plantation drive in the district. The DMC would supply around 20,000 gallons water daily to do plantation drive in the district. DMC Central has to look after 150 parks in area of its jurisdiction out of which beautification of 37 parks has been completed. Also speaking on the occasion, Deputy Mayor Karachi Dr Arshad Abdullah Vohra said that Karachi was used to generate over 12,000 tons municipal garbage on a daily basis out of which only 4,000 got disposed of. He said that lifting of municipal waste in the city didn’t mean that it was transferred to landfill sites for proper and scientific disposal. He said that the present sanitation and waste disposal system of the city had been in complete disarray owing to lack of resources available to the city’s administration. The deputy mayor said that a proper awareness campaign should be launched to motivate residents of the city to adopt best sanitation practices and avoid unsocial acts like dumping of household waste carelessly anywhere open in the street. He said that Karachi Metropolitan Corporation within its limited resources had been trying its best to improve civic and municipal affairs of the city. Environmental expert Rafiul Haq on the occasion gave different suggestions to effectively safeguard environment of the city. Youth Parliament President Rizwan Jaffar also spoke on the need of motivating youth to actively take part in the plantation drive in Karachi. In his concluding remarks, Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hassan said that he would himself do plantation in area of his residence to practically become part of tree plantation drive of DMC Central. He said it was obligatory upon every individual and institution in the city to take practical steps for doing sanitation drive and to make city look clean and greener. By doing so every concerned person and individual would prove its commitment and love for the city. Published in Daily Times, August 1st , 2017.