Daily Times

A young polio victim has emerged as role model for countrymen in our ongoing fight against increasing threats of climatic changes causing global warming, heat wave and water scarcity, affecting millions of people.

KhizarWaliChisti, a young teacher of 32 years age, has successfully planted more than 90,000 plants in almost all the provinces of the country. “I have set the target of planting 10 million trees in the country and so far succeeded in planting 90,000 saplings,” says Khizar whose left leg is paralyzed due to polio.

Talking to APP from his home town Pakpatan, KhizarWaliChisti informed that he had also set up a nursery and distributed saplings among people free of cost. I started free distribution of plants in 2015 and distributes 50,000 plants on annual basis among people, Chisti told APP.

Being a teacher, KhizarWaliChisti also tries to create awareness among people about importance of increase in green cover for fighting threatening climatic changes impacting health, agriculture and livelihood of millions of people on annual basis. “The prevailing heat wave in Pakistan and India is a serious indicator of highly harsh summers in near future in the region and calls for taking the threat serious not only by government but people as well both male and female,” Khizar opined.

If heat wave continues to increase with the same pace and temperature kept on around or more than 50 degree celcius in major parts of the country, how people will bear it and there will be crisis of very serious level for mitigation of which we have to work jointly by creating awareness and taking practical measures, he added. One of the city in Pakistan, Jacobabad in broiling in such a temperature which is hotter than the human body to withstand, he added.

In most of the parts of Pakistan, major cities are experiencing sever heat wave which become more intense due to power outages and water scarcity, making it very harsh for people to spent summer season. There is a need for creating awareness among all sections of society because people from top to bottom and of all ages are getting affected from climatic changes, Khir expressed.

He has also formed a group in name of `Green Oasis’ on social media platform for creating awareness about importance of increasing green cover.

He upload all his activities regarding planting of trees at different locations on social media with the objective of awareness of his followers spreading in different parts of the world.

In Australia, some of social media friends of KhizarWaliChisti planted trees as a gift on his recent birthday.

Apart from environment friendly services, Khizar also concentrates on welfare oriented activities by arranging free health camps, arranging funds for education of poor children and making arrangement for feeding of birds and animals.

For welfare activities, Khizar has formed a group of 25 friends who generate funds by making donation and convincing others for the help of needy people.

Being a victim of polio, KhizarWaliChisti also spreads message regarding importance of vaccination of children against the crippling disease.

He said he understands harshness of disability and don’t want to see any other facing the same problems being faced by him and in this connection inform people about importance of immunization of children against polio disease.

In response to a question, KhizarWali said he will soon visit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to plant trees there and meet his friends and followers.