Daily Times

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has so far planted more than 150,000 saplings in the ongoing tree plantation campaign in the federal capital and surrounding areas with the help of residents since last two week. “The campaign is in full swing on the directives of Chairman CDA Noor ul Amin Mengal and the children were engaged in planting saplings in different parks and free-of-cost fruit trees also distributed among citizens,” an official told APP. He said that the CDA chief has given a target to officials concerned to plant around 500,000 saplings during the spring season and the plantation drive had already kicked off at the F-9 Park.

The official said that the authority was involving children to make the campaign a success, adding that, while the CDA, the private sector and civil society had an important role to make the tree plantation drive a success.

Last year, he said the Environment Wing of the CDA planted 250,000 plants and this year the target has been doubled. The official said the fruit plants were being distributed among citizens for planting in their homes. Among them are peaches, apricots, pomegranates and other fruit saplings that are compatible with the local climate and environment.

He said that 5,000 plants have been distributed free of cost during the week and about 20,000 plants during the next 15 days. Moreover, on the instructions of the CDA chairman, the authority would try its level best to meet the target of planting 500,000 saplings this year. The official said the CDA has also decided to increase the city’s green cover by planting saplings on billions of rupees of land it recovered from illegal occupants under the anti-encroachment drive.

“The authority has recently launched a massive drive in the federal capital against the land grabbers to recover its precious land that had been unlawfully occupied by the mafia,” he added. The official said the authority would carry out a comprehensive drive aimed at preventing re-encroachment of retrieved land and increasing green spaces across the capital. He said Islamabad was the only city in the world that had been developed on the concept of green city and “the CDA is taking concrete measures for conservation and enhancement of its green character.”