BTAP surpasses 1bn plantation target amid 88 per cent survival rate    

PESHAWAR: Billion Tree Afforestation Project (BTAP) owing to its successful implementation has surpasses the 1 billion target amid 88 per cent survival rate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

BTAP is the largest mega project at provincial level that has been accomplished in record short span of time and reduced project cost across the country.

BTAP after the mass afforestation initiatives implemented in China, India and Ethiopia was the fourth largest world project said Chief Conservator Forest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Niaz Ali Khan to media delegation in a exposure visit to BTAP activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"The Billion Tree Tsunami project of KP has transcended to global level from a provincial one. The global media, climate change and environmental watchdogs have commended alike the remarkable achievement of BTAP and it's effective role in mitigation of climate change risks in the region.

Even the Hindustan Times, the media of our neighbouring country India has appreciated the billion tree project," he added.

Under the Bonn Challenge, he said around 3,48,000 hectors (ha) target was set for rehabilitation of degraded and deforested forest cover till 2030. "KP is the only province among 46 countries registered with Bonn Challenge," he added.

We had started BTAP, Khan said with positive objectives in Nov, 2014 to increase forest area by 2 per cent in five years whereas KP has retained overall 25 per cent of forest cover after the implementation of BTAP, the Chief conservator noted.

BTAP was completed with an amount of Rs12.5 billion against the total cost of Rs19.448 whereas 80 per saplings for the plantation sites were produced at private nurseries and remaining 20 per cent stock raised at departmental nurseries, said the project director Muhammad Tehmasib Khan.

He said that BTAP has also managed to bag nomination for Climate Action Award 2019 at the Conference of Parties (COP 25) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Chile.

SUPARCO has visited 500 BTAP sites through satellite images and drone and detected 88-95 per cent change in forest cover. The additional 208 million plants in 1 billion tree target were managed through sowing, prevention from forest fires, grass cutting and aerial broadcasting which gave 20-25 per cent successful results, Tehmasib said.

He said project was strictly monitored, "As many as 350 persons of the forest department got dismissed and punished after investigation of various charges alleged under BTAP and Rs69 lac fine has been imposed on three officers in Dera Ismail Khan on corruption charges," he said. "It exhibits how strong accountability and transparency is being ensured to make a project complete success" he added.

The project generated 0.5 million green jobs through which mostly the local community got benefited, he said.

The media delegation was taken to three different plantation sites of Gari Chandan Peshawar, Hero shah Malakand and Baldhair Hazara Forest Division.

"Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has restored over 22 per cent of its forest cover after implementation of BTAP with over 5 per cent forest cover achieved across the country. Prior to BTAP plantation has been carried out at a meager level with scarce resources given and inattention of the then ruling political elite," Chief Conservator Malakand Division Muhammad Riaz said.

The plantation in all 83 sites was being carried out in 4 years with all local species including Chir, Sanatha, Keekar, Phulai, Ber and eucalyptus where Chir is the dominant tree of the division, he added.

The plantation done by the local people was executed on over 3100 ha and around 33,32,500 plants were planted over 149 sites, the Chief Conservator Forest said. He lauded the efforts of former Secretary Forest Syed Nazar Hussain Shah who burnt the mid night oil to make BTAP a success.

A Billion Tree Afforestation Project (BTAP) plantation has increased the forest cover in Hazara Forest Division to 9.6 per cent.

The Forest Department in Hazara Forest Division along with BTAP plantation voluntarily organized vegetation in adopted sites mainly sideways of Hazara Motorway, said Conservator Hazara Forest Division Malik Sagheer Ahmed.

"The voluntarily done plantation on the adopted sites has not been reported in the BTAP. However, at the outset our plantation across the Hazara Motorway do not reap full results. After repeated sowing in the region showed positive results where erected plants at their initial stage could be seen at the moment. There have been local species of trees planted on the sideways of Hazara Motorway to encourage natural ecology," Malik Sagheer told the media team visiting the BTAP plantation sites in Hazara Forest region.

"The local species being planted on the sideways of Hazara Motorway include Keekar, Sanatha, Phulai, Iple Iple, Heaven Tree, Eucalyptus and Popular. The sideways are the National Highways Authority (NHA)'s acquired land and the local community has nothing to do with it," he noted.