Punjab Chief Minister, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that present decade was very important with regard to measures to control environmental pollution as like the developed countries, people in Pakistan were also determined to fight this problem. On the occasion of 'Tree Plantation Campaign 2005', Pervaiz said that plantation of maximum number of trees was not only an effective weapon against environmental pollution but could also go a long way in bringing economic development.
In the present age, energy resources were of key importance for the economic development of a country and trees were an extremely reliable source of energy. Keeping in view the significance of trees in economic development and overcoming environmental problem, the Punjab government was showing special interest in tree plantation over maximum area, he added.
According to him, besides forest department, other government departments including buildings, highways, irrigation, housing, revenue and district council were also actively participating in tree plantation campaign. The government alone could not achieve the desired targets, therefore co-operation of private sector was of paramount importance for curbing environmental pollution and increasing energy resources. In order to provide technical guidance, and planting stock, the forest department has set up its centres at Markaz level throughout the province.
He further said that at present only five percent of the total area of the country was under forests, while in Punjab this ratio was merely 2.8 percent, which must be 25 percent.
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