Daily Times

UPPER DIR: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dir Upper Muhammad Usman Mehsud said that forests play an important role in prevention of dangerous diseases like skin cancer, sun stroke and other as it was the collective responsibility of the community to play role in protecting of forests.

He was speaking at a ceremony as a chief guest in Hill Park in Dir that was organized on the occasion of spring plantation drive.

Forest department of the Upper Dir organized the ceremony. Divisional Forest Officer, Dir forest division, Moqtada Shah, assistant commissioner Dir, Asif Ali, subdivisional forest officer, Sahibzada Ihsan-ud-Din, forester, Gul Zaman Khan, forest department employees, elder of the area were also present at the occasion.

Mr Mehsud said that there could not be denied from the importance of the forests. He said that due to lacks of forests and trees carbon cycle had damaged due to which weather’s periods had changed.

He said that not coming of the summer season on time was also caused due to lack of forests. “Weather has dramatically changed due to not having lots of trees and forestation now-a-days,” Mr Usman Mehsud added.

The DC said that forests and greenery in the area could promote more opportunities of tourism in the district.

The DC said that it was not only of the forest department duty to preserve forests however people of the district should also play their active role in its protection.

Usman Mehsud said that cutting of the timbers and forests could not be tolerated and timber smuggling in the district would not be allowed. He said that timber smugglers would be dealt with iron hands and they would be sent to jail.

Moqtada Shah said that billion tree project was the fourth largest program in the world. He said that it would be completed by June 2018. He said that total 8.8 million saplings would be planted in the spring plantation drive in the district by June this year.

He said that 5.7 million trees would be planted by the forest department and 3.1 million would be planted with the help of community and those trees were being given free to people for plantation. He said that the forest department was purchasing those saplings from local formers. He said that total of 10 million trees would be bought from local formers.

He said that total 134 compartments had been made in Qualndi, Usheri Dara, Brawal and other areas. He said that the department was also giving a financial support to those community organizations for better result.