Govt vows to protect Galiyat’s picturesque forests

Assembly speaker, chief secretary launch plantation drives

ABBOTTABAD:

The provincial government on Sunday shot a warning to the timber mafia in the Galiyat region as it promised to grow and protect forests.

This was stated by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani and Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz on Sunday as they kicked off the monsoon tree plantation drives in the Shimla hills apart from observing the Tiger Force Day.

"We have exceeded the target of planting 0.5 million trees by planting 1.2 million trees," Ghani said. Addressing the ceremony, Ghani said that the Tiger Force (TF) can play a vital role in the afforestation campaign in the country, point to how well the force had performed during the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak when everyone else was reluctant to work due to the fear of contracting the pandemic.

“Members of the Tiger Force worked day and night and provided rations to people during the lockdown,” he added.

Rainwater ponds set up in forests

Chief Secretary Dr Niaz has reiterated the resolve for growing and protecting forests in the province with help and support from the volunteers.

He warned that those found involved in illicit tree cutting or depletion of forests activities, including the government departments, will all be awarded exemplary punishments under the law. The chief secretary further directed the Hazara Commissioner and Forests Department to take stern action on the illegal chopping of trees, for which he assured that support from public representatives.

He added that involving the Tiger Force in supporting measures by government departments to counter Covid-19 and to plant trees is a part of PM Imran’s plan to formally institutionalise the force.

Once complete, it will allow them to contribute social services to the society for achieving any national cause such as plantation, protection of trees, disease control, rescue activities in case of natural calamities and public awareness voluntarily.

The CS said that PM Imran had initially given a target of planting half a million trees in K-P which had been raised to 3.5 million. Of this, he said that more than 1.2 million saplings have been planted in the Hazara division so far.

Forest field staff to send SOS to President, PM for reforms

In response to the problems and difficulties faced by the forests department over Guzara Forests, the chief secretary assured that a meeting of Hazara and Malakand Forests Department will be convened soon to discuss the ways and means as well as a feasible policy formulation.

Earlier during a briefing, Hazara Commissioner Riaz Mehsud and Forests Conservator Azhar Mahmood said that 883,979 saplings have been planted so far.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2020.