The government is well on the track to increase the forest by 1 percent from the existing 5 percent to 6 percent by the year 2015 under the targets set for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for which 1 million hector of additional land would be brought under forests. To increase the forests resources, the Government allocated Rs 15 billion to all the four provinces, AJK, Northern Areas and Fata.
This was stated by the Federal Minister for Environment, Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi, while inaugurating Islamabad Golden Jubilee Spring Tree Plantation Campaign-2010 here at Sector G-13 in a colorful event on Monday massively participated by school children, NGOs, General Public, Traders, Government Employees, CDA workers and representatives of the Public and Private Sectors.
The Minister said that satellite monitoring system of the forests would be in placed by the end of 2010 so as to increase the supervision of the planted trees, discourage deforestation and ensure maximum survival of the saplings planted during different tree plantation campaigns. He lauded the efforts of the CDA for making concrete efforts to achieve the plantation targets and making the Capital clean and green.
The Chairman CDA, Imtiaz Inayat Elahi said that CDA has established Capital Tree Club to encourage the participation of the general public, particularly the residents of the city in the on-going campaign.
He said that every household of the federal capital would be given two plants free of cost to maximize the greenery in the city. He said that under the current Spring Tree Plantation Campaign, CDA would plant 400,000 saplings in different areas of Islamabad out of which 100,000 plants will be distributed among the residents in different sectors.
He said that 15 distribution points have been established in all sectors of the Capital, which would remain open for another 10 days to facilitate the tree lovers. He said that those getting the plants would be registered under the Capital Tree Club.
The Chairman said that massive awareness campaign has been launched to involve the general public in the plantation drive in collaboration with different private sector organisations. He said that strict monitoring of the planted trees would be carried out to ensure the maximum survival rate.-PR