KASUR: On the 72nd Independence Day of Pakistan, the Forest department in collaboration with the district administration, students of many schools and colleges, the Bali Memorial Trust (BMT) and the general public of Kasur set a new world record by planting 10,000 saplings in just 150 seconds during a ‘Plantation Mela’ which was organised in the Changa Manga forest. Reportedly, the Forest department initially set a target to plant 10,000 trees within 10 minutes, however as a countdown began, motivated students took just 150 seconds to plant the saplings, and subsequently raised their hands. Meanwhile, officers of the Rescue 1122 department together with forest guards performed march-past and presented salute during a flag hoisting ceremony. On the occasion, Forest department additional secretary Shahid Rasheed Awan, Pak Army Colonel Mehboob from, forest central zone conservator Syed Ijaz Hussain Sherazi, Punjab southern zone conservator Khizer Hayat Minhas, BMT chairman Laila Nusrat, Lahore forest conservator Abdul Muqeet Khan, Gujranwala forest conservator Nawaz Sandhila, assistant commissioner (AC) Chunian Saleem Chishti and others officials were also present. Changa Manga, the world’s first manmade forest, rapidly deforested due to utter negligence of Forest department officials and timber mafia in the period 2008-2012. However, certain measures were adopted to prevent the forest from extinction. Not only the unbridled wood mafia has been thrown out of the forest but a fast track development and re-plantation of the 60pc of the deforested area has been started. Till to date, Out of 8000 deforested acres, more than 6000 have been replanted and the plant retention rate in the last four years is above 90pc. Former Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif constituted a Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) to probe into the matter, and consequently 27 officials of the Forest department were found guilty. Thereby, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) lodged an FIR (first information report) against them. The Punjab government poured hefty amounts of money to restore the forest, which followed building of forest boundary fence of 39 kilometers to prevent animals and people living in the nearby region from entering into the forest. Later, illegal grazing of animals was prevented, brick-lined archways were built alongside Changa Manga’s lake, new huts were built for visitors to stay, jogging tracks were reconstructed, green lawns were renovated, locomotive engines and trams were serviced and repaired, swings for children and other facilities were installed for the visitors. Kasur District Chairman Rana Sikandar Hayat improved signage for motorists and pedestrians, and took initiatives to build a natural science museum of South Asia in the forest. Daily Times learnt that three divisional and sub-divisional officers of the Forest department including Hayat Hassan, Imran Sattar and Agha Hussain played an effective role in the restoration and up-gradation of the Changa Manga forest, and thus prevented it from ‘dying out’. They were supported by the Forest Protection Committee. However, a lot of work still needs to be done including evacuation of illegal occupants from three villages which are built on the forest area. The land was given to the forefathers of the villagers as ‘workers colony’ for serving and maintaining the forest. With the passage of time, the villagers abandoned working as labourers of the forest, and began their own businesses, and used the forest area for grazing cattle and buffaloes, and cow milking. The situation poses a serious threat to the new tree plantation campaign as saplings could die due to cattle grazing. Published in Daily Times, August 16th 2018.