25,000 saplings to be planted in capital

More than 25,000 saplings will be planted in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) outskirts during the ongoing monsoon to make the city's environment clean and green.

The Directorate of Agriculture Extension Services (AES) has chalked out a plan to plant fruit and forest varieties to check soil erosion. This was said by AES Director Waqar Anwar while talking to APP. He said the forest plant species of Kachnar, Cheer, Sheesham, Shahtoot, Sukh Chain, Mor Pankh, Bottle Brush, Popular, Weeping Willows, Feeder-wood would be planted along with fruit plant of lemon, grapes, mitha, peach, lokat, guava, olives, etc.

The field staff of the Soil Conservation Department besides the services of employees of the Agriculture Department, and livestock centres and hospitals have been incorporated for identification of land and advising farmers where the plantation is to be carried out, he added.

Under the initiative, he said farmers and area officers have been made responsible for the safety and security of plants. This has been done to maximise the survival rate of plants. The directorate, he said was also distributing free-of-cost plants among citizens.

An awareness campaign has also been launched to sensitise citizens regarding the challenges posed by climate change and global warming and the importance of increasing forest cover in the country.

The plantation would be done in the suburban areas of Bara Kahu, Rawat, Bhembertrar, Tarlai, Golra, Kurii, Jodh, Sohan, Sihala, Pend Bagwal, Chirah, Noon, Tumair, especially on lands where the Agriculture Directorate has either recently or in the past carried out agriculture schemes like building check dams, mini dams, spillways, farm ponds, dug wells, lift irrigation schemes as water availability for the long-term survival of plants would be better guaranteed at these sites.