LAHORE: Long-term planning was inevitable for any country’s development, said Prime Minister Imran Khan at the launch of countrywide spring tree plantation drive here at Miyawalki Urban Forest, Jilani Park on Friday. The prime minister cited the example of China which had started a massive plantation in the country and also introduced green cities to suppress the pollution caused by massive development.
Terming the smog as a silent killer, the prime minister said smog reduces the 6-11 years average life of an individual particularly the children and elders, as the chemical travels to the lungs. He said tree plantation is essential for eliminating environmental pollution and urged the whole nation to join it for their children’s future.
Khan said all including school children, university and college students should be made part of the campaign and they may be assigned specific areas for the protection of plants.
The premier said in parliamentary democracies the governments unfortunately had been thinking of their election victory and executed short-term projects to inaugurate and win votes. He called for engaging the businessmen to seek donations, though, he said, they did not pay taxes but hoped for good financial support for the plantation.
The PM also unveiled a plaque and planted a sapling to launch the plantation as part of the government’s efforts to accomplish the target of 10 billion trees during the five-year term.
Quoting the example of Lahore, the PM maintained that 70 percent of Lahore’s green belts were removed during the last 12-13 years. Resultantly, the skyline of the city was engulfed by smoke even in February which otherwise used to be the best month there. Now the sun is not visible due to smog, not fog. The PM said having born and bred in Lahore, he had witnessed the evolution of the city from a green to polluted city because the governments never thought about environmental protection.
Referring to the Singaporean government’s successful river clean-up initiative, the premier said everything could be changed but it required hard work. He said the development of Miyawaki Urban Forestation a “gigantic first step,” which would grow in 10 to 20 years comparing the 50 years required for other forests.
The PM emphasized the concerned ministry and the KP government to publicize their massive tree plantation projects to make the people know their efforts to enhance green cover and the achievements in this regard. The PM said he would also visit the plantation sites in other areas and announced to launch a ‘silent revolution’ of massive olive plantation by next week in the country to reduce the import bill of ghee and edible oils as well as enhance exports.
Khan said Pakistan was uniquely rich with 12 climatic zones and thus able to grow everything but instead the country suffered deforestation.
Describing the selection of 50 sites for urban forest in Lahore and Miyawaki Urban Forest as a great initiative, the PM directed that 50 sites of urban forest program should be shown through Google and the people should be informed about it.
Addressing the ceremony, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said the plantation of forests at the sites would be completed by March. He also noted that there was no other option to fight off smog and climate change than urban forestry wherever land was available.
It may be added that Miyawaki urban forests is a method invented by 93-year-old Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, an expert in plant bionetwork, specialist in seeds and study of natural forests. He is active worldwide as a professional in the restoration of natural vegetation on degraded land. The technique helps build dense and native forests.
As per the Miyawaki method, 1,125 plants are being planted per kanal at all locations geotagged already. The Jilani Park’s Miyawalki Forest is one of the 51 sites being developed in Lahore to revive the city’s green cover and address the issues of pollution particularly smog.
The 51 sites where forests are being developed include Jilani Park, Bahria Park, Township, Pathrowonwali Park, Arjun Road and Bilal Park in Green Town, Qarshi Park, Ghalib Market Park, Main Park, Main Boulevard and Aslam Riaz Park in Gulberg, Block H-1 Park, Phase II, Sabzazaar, Block E-1 Masjid Ya Rasool Allah Park, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Saggian Park 1, Jallo Botanical Garden, Canal Road (Harbanspura to Fatehgarh), Jallo to BRB Canal, Tajbagh, Triangle Park near the railway station, Sher Shah Block Park, Garden Town, Main Park of Shadman Market, Wasa Office, Shadman, Gulshan-i-Ravi Park, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park, Kareem Block and Moon Market parks in Allama Iqbal Town, Ayubia Market Park, Muslim Town, B-1 Block Park, Johar Town, International Market M-block, Model Town Extension, Canal Road, greenbelt Fatehgarh to Harbanspura, Circular Garden, Rewaz Garden, Family Park, Faisal Town, Qainchi Park Ferozepur Road, Greater Iqbal Park, G-1 Market Johar Town, Begum Kot Triangle Shahdara and Halloki interchange.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021