Spring plantation under way at 300 places

LAHORE:

The Plant for Pakistan initiative launched to reduce environmental pollution and make Punjab greener will cover 48,368 acres across the province, with a target of planting 42.5 million trees.

According to Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, measures are under way to combat smog and air pollution in the province.

In the fiscal year 2024-25, at least 7.361 million trees will be planted over 8,496 acres of land , for which Rs1.8 billion has been allocated.

Of the amount, Rs1.085 billion has been utilised, accounting for 60 per cent of the estimated budget.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the senior minister said that during the Spring 2025 plantation campaign, 6,637 acres will be covered with 5.966 million trees.

The campaign is being carried out at more than 300 locations across Punjab, including Lahore, Kasur, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Murree, Rawalpindi, Sargodha and Muzaffargarh.

Various native and fruit-bearing trees are being planted, including Moringa, Chir Pine, Neem, Kikar, Sheesham, Sirus, Bakain, Simal and Arjun.

The plantations will not only increase the forest cover but also turn green the canal banks, roadsides, the Potohar plateau, Murree and sandy areas.

Marriyum Aurangzeb highlighted that the project is progressing rapidly, with 2.73 million trees already planted over 4,000 acres of land.

The 'Chief Minister Plant for Pakistan' initiative will incur a total cost of Rs8 billion, significantly contributing to addressing environmental pollution in the province.