Going green for ‘Peace’: LG minister promises 0.8m saplings to be planted across K-P

Meanwhile, 3.5 million young trees to be sowed across FATA.

PESHAWAR: Minster for Local Government (LG) and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan said around 0.8 million saplings will be planted across the province during an ongoing cleanliness drive titled ‘Peace’. That’s 32,000 saplings per district. The minister participated by planting an olive plant sapling in Hayatabad on Monday.

Inayatullah said when he took oath as a minister, he had promised a clean and green province and he still stands by those words. “We will provide a healthy and pleasant environment for residents.”

The task cannot be achieved without the participation of educational institutes and civil society, emphasized the LG minister. Media should also play its role to make the drive a success, he added.

“People in K-P are confronted with various issues and planting these trees will be a positive activity,” greenery is not only essential for humans but for animals too, claimed the minister.

Inayatullah said as a result of the drive, the province will be able to produce raw materials for medicine and will be able to spread awareness about medicinal plants and their importance.

The LG minster thanked participants who contributed in the drive, “Cleanliness is an integral part of religion.”  He also appealed to the public to help municipal workers make the drive a success.

Meanwhile, Governor Shaukatullah Khan launched the ‘Spring Tree Plantation Campaign’ for the tribal areas by planting a chir (pine) sapling at Governor House on Monday. Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Additional Chief Secretary Arbab Muhammad Arif was also present in addition to other senior officials of the FATA Forest Department.

It was mentioned on the occasion that 3.5 million saplings of different trees will be planted throughout Fata. Of these, 3 million will be planted by the forest department itself while the rest will be planted by various departments, security forces personnel, students and the public at large.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2014.