Sindh govt set to initiate Urban Forestry project

Sindh Forests and Wildlife minister announces the launch of a city-wide tree plantation drive

KARACHI: Sindh Forests and Wildlife Minister Syed Nasir Hussain announced on Saturday the launch of a city-wide tree plantation drive starting from Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park in Clifton as the first step towards realising Urban Forestry project.

During the meeting at Hussain's office, various stakeholders, including representatives of the non-governmental organisations and the corporate sector, were consulted in regards to the upcoming drive, said a statement.

Hussain said that they would plant as many species of shade and fruit trees as was possible.

He added that stakeholders should also forward their suggestions to the provincial government so that they could be accommodated in the upcoming budget of Sindh government.



He said that the provincial government was formulating a policy to promote and protect the forests in the province and, he added, once this policy was implemented everyone would be required to abide by it.

For all new development schemes regarding the construction of roads in the province, it had been made compulsory to plant trees on both side of the roads, said Hussain.

He added that it was the duty of every responsible organisation to plant trees in the park near them.

Sindh Forests Secretary Abdul Rahim Soomro said that the provincial government had been working on a plan to turn Karachi into an urban forest.

He added that the city had been turned into a concrete jungle.

He said that tree saplings of with a height of minimum three feet should be planted so that they there is little problem in the plants growing into maturity.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2019.