Pakistan has become the second biggest country with respect to deforestation which was an outcome of our collective negligence and poor management. This alarming situation was brought forward by the speakers of a seminar on Forests and Environment arranged by Pakistan Society of Foresters here at New Senate Hall on Monday morning.
Addressing the gathering, UAF VC Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said an effective social mobilisation for growing more trees and limiting the hazardous effects of environmental pollution was needed to overcome the challenges posed by environment degradation.
Dr Khan announced that University management was striving hard to make the campus green, adding that during the last four years more than 30,000 new trees were added. He said a new degree course BSc (Hons) Environmental Sciences had been initiated and the students of environmental sciences besides arranging walks also distributed recyclable bags among the residents of the campus. He urged the students to change their habits and try to use bicycles or walk around for their daily affairs.
Dr Khan revealed that due to environment-friendly atmosphere, around 20,000 people used to visit UAF daily. He was of the view that excessive mobile and motorbike usage creating environmental problems and damaging the whole ecology of the earth. He said that UAF administration was of the view to make the campus pedestrian thereby to net the growing trend of motorbikes and avert the unpleasant situation on the roads. Dr Khan urged the participants of seminar and people of 'environment watch' to come up with certain action plan for healthy living and changing the living habits of the people.
He expressed his dismay over the deteriorating figures of forests in the country and said "we need to inculcate the masses about the hazardous effects of deforestation and environment." He urged the district government to make arrangements for cycle riders on the main roads so that disappearing trend might be revived. Earlier addressing the participants Principal Punjab Medical College Professor Dr Zahid Yasin Hashmi urged to revive the 'environment watch' so as to make an effective liaison between PMC and UAF, adding the society was a brainchild of the colleges of UAF and needed to be revived to meet the challenges.