Chief Commissioner Hamid Ali Khan Tuesday said the Agriculture Directorate of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) would plant over one lakh saplings in the rural areas of the capital during current spring tree plantation drive. He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of spring tree plantation drive in the rural areas of the Capital. Farmers, NGOs officials, local community and director of Agriculture Directorate ICT were also present on the occasion. "Seventy five thousand saplings have been cultivated and nurtured in the nurseries of the ICT Agriculture Directorate and 25,000 plants are being provided by the Capital Development Authority and Forest Department of Rawalpindi' Chief Commissioner informed. He further said special attention would be paid to the protection of the planted saplings while survival rate of plantation would be checked regularly and moreover special prize would also be given to those responsible for saplings protection. Talking about the forests reducing situation in the country, he said forest were depleting which called for urgent measures to increase the requisite area of forests by planting maximum trees in the country to overcome the deficiency of forests and making the environment green. Talking about the species and their numbers that would be planted in current season were Olive 15,000, Shreen 4,000, Dranta 3,000, Kachnar 4,000, Guava 3,000, Jaman 13,000, Loquat 13,000, Sukhchain 3,000, Arjan 7,000, Pomegranate 10,000, Anjeer 22,000, bottle Brush 3,000, Villo 6,000, Shesham 5,000, Fedal Wood 6,000, Pine 5,000, Amaltas 8,000, Dhrek 6,000 and Grapes 15,000. According to the plantation programme he said 2,500 saplings would be planted in Rawat Union Council (UC), Sihala 4,500, Koral 6,000, Sohan 5,000, Tarlai 3,000, Kurri 4,000, Kirpa 3,500, Chirah 5,000, Tumair 4,000, Phulgaran 2,500, Bhara Kahu 4,500, Shah Allah Ditta 4,000 and 45,000 saplings would be planted at road sides and around educational institutions. Chief Commissioner Hamid Ali also urged the citizens to fully take part in the spring tree plantation drive and make it successful.

As many as 20,000 trees spread over 70 acres of Khabrani forest in Matiari district in compartment No.13-B and 14-B were completely destroyed on Monday as a fire broke out in the forest. According to the executive director of Indus Development Organisation (IDO) Zain Daudpoto, volunteers of the forest protection committee struggled the whole night and controlled the fire from spreading any further. District Forest Officer Syed Wasif Ali Shah has reached there and inspected the area with Daudpoto and forest protection committee volunteers.Zain Daudpoto in a statement issued here on Tuesday said that according to his estimates 20,000 trees on 70 acres of land had been destroyed. Later, a meeting of the IDO was held on Tuesday which was also attended by a large number of villagers. The meeting was of the opinion that some influential people were involved in the fire and wanted to occupy the forestland.

Ample financial resources have been allocated to increase the forest cover from 5.01-6 percent by 2015, said President Parvez Musharaf in a message on the occasion of National Spring Tree Plantation that would be observed on Friday, February 15. He said that under the Mid-Term Development fund (MTDF) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), huge resources have been allocated. In addition to mega forestry sector projects, an amount of Rs 12 billion has been approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) which will be implemented by all the provincial governments, as well as AJK and the Northern Areas. He further said that our entire rural population depends upon wood and biomass as a primary source of energy. Despite their indirect contribution to other production sectors, economic values of forests are usually underestimated in natural accounts and the GDP. President directed the provincial governments to implement these projects with the involvement of all stakeholders including farmers, local communities, forest owners and right holders, civil organisations, the private sector and students. The president reiterated that Pakistan, as a member of various international and regional forums on forests is committed to undertake forestry development programme with international support. He said that the government will ensure transfer of technologies, training and upgrading of departmental infrastructure to facilitate the provinces in implementing their strategies and programmes of forestry sector. He urged all the citizens to participate in the national efforts to cover barren land of the country with trees. Syed Wajid Hussain Bokhari, Federal Environment Minister, said that President will inaugurate the National Spring Tree Planting campaign on Friday. More than 86.5 million saplings will be planted all over the country during the campaign. He further said that the spring tree plantation campaign target includes planting 22 million saplings in Punjab, 1.2 million in Sindh, 27 million in NWFP, 1.5 million in Balochistan, 16 million in AJK, 4 million in Northern Areas and 4 million saplings by other departments including Capital Development Authority (CDA). Copyright Business Recorder, 2008

ISLAMABAD (PPI) President Pervez Musharraf inaugurated the national spring tree plantation drive here on Friday. More than 86.5 saplings would be planted during the drive all over the country. Federal Minister for Environment, Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari told the media men after inauguration ceremony that during Spring plantation drive, 22 million in Punjab, 12 million in Sindh, 27 million in NWFP, 1.5 million in Balochistan and 16 million in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 4 million in Northern Areas and 4 million saplings by different departments would be planted, says a press release issued here. In his message for the occasion, President Musharraf said that forests are the essential part of environment system. Forests regulate the water supplies to reservoirs and irrigation systems, which are the lifeline for the agro-based economy of Pakistan. Trees are natural air filters and perform protective function to stabilise mountainous land and to rebuild fertility of lands. He said our entire rural population also depends upon woods and biogas as a primary source energy. Despite their indirect contribution in other production sectors, economic values of forests are usually underestimated in national accounts and GDP. President Musharraf under Medium term Development Framework (2005-10) and Millenium Development Goals (2015) ample financial resources has been allocated to increase forest cover from 5.01 percent to 6 percent by 2015. Moreover, he said ECNEC has approved Rs 12 billion to launch mega projects of wood in all provinces, AJK and Northern Areas. He directed the provincial governments to ensure implementation on these projects. The President reiterated that Pakistan, as a member of various international and regional forums on Forests is committed to undertake forestry development programme with international support. He said the government would endeavour to ensure transfer of technologies, training and upgrading of departmental infrastructure in order to facilitate the Provinces in implementation their strategies and programmes of Forestry sector. He urged all Pakistani citizens to participate in the national efforts to cover barren land with trees.

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