Forest dept wants masses to participate in plantation drive

Active participation of the masses in the ongoing monsoon tree plantation campaign is the need of the hour to overcome the challenges of climate change, environmental pollution and global warming.

This was stated by Chakwal District Range Officer (DRO) of the Forest Department (Extention) Punjab Rawalpindi Division Sher Afzal Raja while planting saplings at different places along with the officers of the district administration on Sunday. Chakwal assistant commissioner and workers of Insaf Tiger Force, present on the occasion also planted saplings. Raja said the role of every citizen is very important in solving the problems like environmental pollution and global warming.

“To encourage citizens and make their role more active and fruitful, the campaign ‘Har Bashar, Do Shajar’ organised by the Punjab Forest Department (Extension) Rawalpindi Division is successfully under way”, he added. The DRO said that a large area of barren lands owned by farmers has so far been turned into dense potential forests apart from making the present forests denser and wide.

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He further mentioned that the district range forest office was also pursuing a special campaign regarding making the public aware of the importance and need of trees.

He added that with the help of Insaf Tiger Force, we are dropping pamphlets and handbills at doorsteps of the houses, schools, colleges and offices inscribed with the significance and importance of trees in human lives.

“We will make Rawalpindi Division a role model in the tree planting campaign. During the tree plantation week, the forest department has laid the foundation for increasing the number of trees by planting trees on a large number of barren private lands with the active participation of the people including the district administration, Insaf Tiger Force, farmers and the cultivators,” Raja maintained.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2021.