Govt plans to grow urban forest in Lahore
PHOTO: AFP
The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) will grow Asia's largest Miyawaki urban forest in Lahore to rein in environmental pollution.
On the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, the authority has already initiated spadework to grow the urban forest over hundreds of kanal land in China Park near Sagian Bridge and nearly 125,000 indigenous trees and shrubs will be planted.
The chief minister has also indicated that such urban forests will also be developed at 15 other places in the provincial capital to grow a total of around 300,000 trees, including 58,000 trees over an area of 50-kanal in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park and 71,500 trees over an area of 62-kanal in Township.
Similarly, Miyawaki urban forests will also be developed at Sabzazar C-Block, Ganj Sarkar Sabzazar, Qaddafi Park Gulshan-e-Ravi, Saggian Interchange, Rustam Park Gulshan-e-Ravi, Karim Park Golbagh near Data Darbar, Mahmood Booti, Green Town, Mustafa Bhatti Park Township, Kashmir Park and Khalid Butt Park Township, he highlighted.
While highlighting significance of urban forestation, Buzdar said the historic city of Lahore was defaced in past tenure by raising huge jumbled structures of concrete and irresponsible cutting of trees.
“The lack of forests has resulted in environmental degradation and extensive tree plantation drive will help to overcome smog and pollution,” the CM remarked.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2021.