Daily Times

Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Rawalpindi would plant one million saplings in the current Monsoon plantation drive 2024, said Director General (DG) PHA, Rawalpindi, Ahmed Hassan Ranjha.

He informed that the tree plantation campaign ‘Plant for Pakistan’ was kicked off by planting over 200,000 saplings at ‘Takhtpari’ to restore the historic forest.

The DG said that the plantation campaign was started by PHA Rawalpindi in collaboration with Punjab forest department.

PHA was striving to make Rawalpindi city clean and green. Despite financial constraints, PHA was working hard to make the city green, he added.

He said that the authority had set up a grand nursery to provide different plants to the citizens at affordable rates and generate more revenue for the department.

The grand nursery was set up on an area of 1000 kanals in Gorakhpur Town with objectives to promote plantation and to contain the consequences of global climate change.

Punjab government had provided the land for the purpose of nursery to promote plantation in the country, he said.

The DG said that Gorakhpur Nursery would prove to be very important in the ongoing initiatives of the Punjab government regarding Green Pakistan from where large scale planting of trees would be done.

The plants and saplings would be supplied in the coming months from the Gorakhpur Nursery as a variety of plants and grasses were produced there.

He said that less than five percent of Pakistan’s total land area consists of forests, which is a matter of concern and the growth of forests in Pakistan could be ensured only by measures like continuous plantation.

He informed that over 200,000 saplings were planted at ‘Takhtpari’ to restore historic forest.

The employees of PHA Rawalpindi, the Forest Department Rawalpindi Division, a large number of citizens and students participated in the campaign.

He said, “Green Punjab is destination of all of us and civil society, students and youngsters should actively participate in this plantation drive and make it successful.”

The DG said that severe weather effects could be controlled only with the help of the forests. Due to rapidly expanding housing societies, the natural forests and trees are being lost and that is why sharp rise in temperature was recorded during last few years.

He further said that PHA Rawalpindi is well aware of its responsibilities and playing its due role to provide green environment to the citizens.

Monsoon tree plantation campaign organized by PHA Rawalpindi would continue for two months and saplings would also be distributed among the citizens to make the tree plantation campaign a success, he added.

PHA would plant more ornamental plants in Murree to enhance the beauty of the hill station, he said and informed that colorful plants would also be planted in Murree.