Spring tree plantation campaign launched in Sindh

Chief minister asks forest dept to spearhead anti-encroachment drive on forest land

KARACHI: Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah directed the forest department to launch an anti-encroachment drive against land grabbers of forest land and plant trees on its vacant land.

This he said on Friday while talking to Forest Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Chief Conservator Aijaz Nizamani and other officials of the department who attended the inaugural ceremony of the 'Spring Tree Plantation Campaign, 2018'. The CM planted a palm tree at CM House.

The campaign has simultaneously been started in all 29 districts of the province with a target to plant over half a million saplings on the inaugural day. It aims to plant mainly native tree species saplings in public and community places, such as educational institutions, bus stops and along roadsides.

Sindh Education Foundation-run schools have also been actively involved in the campaign all over the province.

The forest secretary promised the CM that the tree plantation target would be achieved.

Division-wise tree planting targets

The Karachi division has a target of 10.38 million saplings, of which 165,000 were planted on Friday, Hyderabad division has a target of 3.5 million plants, of which 100,000 were planted, Mirpurkhas division 900,000 plants against which 15,000 were planted, while Shaeed Benazirabad division has target of 1.75 million saplings, of which 55,000 were planted.



Larkana division's target stands at 1.88 million saplings, of which 85,000 have been planted, while 80, 000 saplings have been planted out of the Sukkur division's target of 1.6 million saplings.

In this way, 20 million trees would be planted during the spring of this year. The CM emphasised on the planting and protection of trees and forests in all ecological regions of Sindh, ranging from the coastal mangrove ecosystem to riverine forests and sustainable use of land resources in barrage areas of the province.



He appreciated the mangrove-planting success of the forest department, spanning over the last two decades and directed the department to come up with a dynamic strategy for forest rehabilitation in riverine and irrigated plantation areas of the province. The CM directed the chief conservator of forests to spearhead the anti-encroachment campaign on forestland and ensure planting of forests on vacated lands in order to prevent the recurrence of encroachment on the retrieved area.