KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak revealed that billion-tree tsunami project introduced by KP government was almost completed, adding that the total cost of the project was Rs 14 billion out of which Rs 10 billion had been spent on plantation drive and Rs 4 billion would be required for looking after of the huge plantation drive. He stated this while talking to Federal Minister for Climate Change, Zahid Hamed at Pakhtunkhwa House Islamabad, here on Thursday. Federal and provincial secretaries and other staff attended the meeting.
KP CM said his government took the entire responsibilities of the country in the backdrop of rapid climatic change as we wanted to give our coming generation a green Pakistan. He said the province has the capacity to produce 70,000 megawatt of hydel power generation and 25000 megawatt of electricity on run of the river. However, he said his government initiated different projects to produce 4000 megawatt of electricity which would soon start bringing thousand to 1500 megawatt of electricity to the national grid annually.
He said his government introduced the culture of raising nurseries and sensitizing the people for tree plantation drive and included the community to make the drive a success story. The CM regretted that the timber mafia played havoc with the precious forests, cutting trees in the grab of windfall laws etc. The employees of the department bravely fought against the timber mafia and even laid down their lives while fighting against it.
He said, he brought legislation to block the timber mafia. The government faced a lot of problems in the process but it showed commitment and gave ownership to the entire drive against the timber mafia. It was a fight of our future and we did not compromise on it. The minister appreciated the billion-tree tsunami project and asked the provincial government to send the names of two martyred employees of the Forest department who laid down their lives while fighting the timber mafia and who would be given gallantry award.