Nine million saplings to be planted: CS

Says tree plantation campaign to start from last week of July

LAHORE: The Punjab government has set a target of planting nine million saplings during the upcoming monsoon tree plantation campaign likely to start from the last week of July.

Punjab Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar presided over a meeting to review the preparations for the plantation at Civil Secretariat on Thursday.

Speaking at the meeting, the chief secretary said effective steps should be taken to improve sanitation in districts and make the upcoming monsoon tree plantation campaign successful. He added that providing a clean environment to people is a priority of the government. “No negligence will be tolerated in this regard,” he said.

He remarked that controlling environment pollution is a service to humanity and tree plantation is imperative to control growing environmental pollution.

There is a need to work on an emergency basis to protect the environment, he maintained.

The chief secretary said that the campaign is aimed at promoting plantation and citizens should take part in this activity to make it a success. He also underlined the need to launch a community mobilisation and awareness campaign on the benefits of such plantation. He ordered that after the plantation, effective arrangements should also be made to look after saplings so they could grow to their full size.

The forest department secretary told the meeting that a target of planting 9 million saplings has been set for the upcoming monsoon tree plantation drive. He said 15 million saplings were planted against a target of 12 million during the spring plantation.

“All arrangements have been finalised. The forest department has 31 million saplings in stock and 363 sale points have been set up for the forthcoming campaign.

The meeting was attended by administrative secretaries and officers of different departments. 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2019.