Earth Day 2013: WWF extends tree plantation drive to hospitals

50,000 trees will be planted across the country as part of the campaign.

LAHORE:

The World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan will include hospitals, along with schools and colleges, in its Tree Plantation Drive 2013 as part of the 43^rd International Earth Day campaign. 

The drive began on April 12  at Surayya Azeem Memorial Hospital, a 300-bed hospital, at Chauburji. As many as 35 hospitals across the country have been selected for the drive. Several varieties of indigenous trees will be planted, said WWF Corporate Relations Manager Sania Khan.

She said Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, General Hospital, Fatimah Memorial Hospital and CMH were among the 16 hospitals picked in Lahore.

Khan said they had set a target of planting 50,000 trees across the country by April 22, Earth Day. Mostly shisham and keekar trees would be planted. She said 30 to 300 trees would be planted in each hospital.

The tree plantation campaign is sponsored by Pharmevo, a pharmaceutical company, the Pakistan International Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority, Khan said.

Earlier this month, around 500 students from 10 schools planted 600 trees on 31 acres of government land at the Safari Park as part of WWF’s Green School programme.

“Awareness through activity is the best way... We are hoping that the planting of 50,000 trees would start a green revolution in the country,” she said.

Professor Imran Zafar from Surayya Azeem Memorial Hospital said trees protected humans from harsh weather, provided shelter and helped people breathe easy. Many respiratory problems in urban centres stemmed from a lack of urban green cover, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2013.