LAHORE: The Punjab Forest Department is going to launch spring tree plantation campaign 2025 from March 21 which will continue till June and 15 million saplings will be planted under this campaign.
The initiative will involve the army planting 3 million saplings, while the health and education departments will contribute 2 million saplings, with the remainder being planted by the forest department.
Disclosing this, Special Secretary of Forests, Tahir Zafar Abbasi said that trees planted under this campaign will supplement and strengthen the efforts of planting 47 million saplings over an area of 57,551 acres under three different schemes in the province. These schemes are aimed at enhancing forest cover and addressing the challenges of smog and air pollution in the province.
Under these schemes, the department is also focusing on building protective shielding summits in Murree and Kahuta Hills to safeguard forests from fires, Abbasi disclosed to journalists in a recent interaction.
Abbasi highlighting these projects said “Plant for Pakistan” initiative launched on the directives of the Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif is aimed at planting 42.5 million saplings across the province over the next four years, at a cost of Rs 8 billion. The project’s primary goals are to enhance forest cover, conserve the province’s ecosystem, promote eco-tourism in the southern areas of Rawalpindi, and contribute to the socio-economic development of these regions.
As part of this initiative, land development has been completed on 5,870 acres out of a total of 50,869 acres for the current year. Earthwork has been carried out on 4,901 acres, and planting has been completed on 4,455 acres.
Regarding the chief minister’s agro-forestry initiative, Abbasi explained that the aim is to increase forest cover on undeveloped, plantable forest land in the DG Khan and Sargodha civil divisions. This project will also focus on cultivating cereal and fodder crops with support from local and corporate sectors. Estimated to cost Rs 1 billion, the project is expected to create employment opportunities for local communities, increase production of value-added crops, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Upon completion of this project, an estimated 0.445 million tons of CO2 emissions will be offset through afforestation over the next 10 years, while the installation of a solar system is expected to reduce emissions by approximately 0.0611 million tons. To date, the department has completed land development on 3,730 acres out of the 3,790-acre target for the current financial year. Earthwork has been completed on 3,070 acres, and planting has been carried out on 725 acres.
The special secretary also mentioned that the department has maintained 1,232 miles of forest tracks and paths, and is working on the construction of 40 spring water tanks, as well as providing transport services for fire squads and surveillance staff. In conclusion, Abbasi confirmed that the Spring Tree Plantation Campaign for this year will begin on March 21 and will conclude by June. He emphasized that the success of this initiative will depend on the cooperation of the army, health and education institutions, as well as the general public.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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