PESHAWAR
The Forest Department has expedited spring plantation campaign in Abbottabad district where five million saplings would be planted with the help of stakeholders, farmers and general public.
Under Plant for Pakistan campaign, 8,000 saplings would be planted at Shimla Hills Abbottabad.
Commissioner Hazara Division, Motahir Zeb inaugurated the spring plantation campaign by planting a sapling at Nakeera Abbottabad.
DIG Hazara Mir Wais Niaz and others senior officers of the district administration were present.
DPO Abbottabad Zahoor Afridi also planted a sapling at Nakeera Abbottabad.
The Commissioner said forests play key role to counter challenges of climate change and desertification and urged masses to plant maximum trees to make the country lush green.
Under Prime Minister Clean and Green Pakistan program, officials of Forest Department told APP on Monday that 505 million saplings under 10 billion trees afforstration project (10BTAP) have been planted till January 31, 2022.
As many as 270 million plants were raised through man-made plantations, 30 million through sowing and dibbling while over 205 million through general public, farmers and farm forestry.
The target of additional one billion saplings would be achieved through natural regeneration in 6,259 enclosures including 2,000 in merged areas spreading over an area of 250,000 hactares and raising of new plantation on 111, 314 hectares in the province.
Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP) was launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in November 2014 under which a record of 1.208 billion saplings were raised with an estimated cost of Rs14.363 billion against the approved cost of Rs19.44 billion, thus Rs5.077 billion was saved for the Government kitty.
BTAP is the world’s 4th biggest plantation project successfully implemented by Pakistan after China, India and Ethiopia.
The project has increased KP’s forest covered area to 26.6 percent in 2018 against 20 percent in 2013, thus surpassing the 25 percent international forests standard for a country.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had launched 10 BTAP on September 2, 2018 to plant 10 billion trees in the country including additional one billion seedlings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 2023.
The spring plantation campaign was also underway in others districts of KP including merged tribal districts where its vast areas are being utilized to achieve the plantation target of additional one billion by next year.
