Climate Change Ministry To Launch Two New Projects: Zartaj Gul

Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Thursday said her ministry would launch two new projects - Water Table Regulatory Authority and Apni Shahrah (Own Thoroughfare) in the wake of obtaining maximum benefits from the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami (10BTT) initiative.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2018 ) :Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Thursday said her ministry would launch two new projects - Water Table Regulatory Authority and Apni Shahrah (Own Thoroughfare) in the wake of obtaining maximum benefits from the 10 billion Tree Tsunami (10BTT) initiative.

Addressing a press conference here, the minister informed that the climate change ministry wanted to implement the 10BTT project across the country and therefore had decided to launch Apni Sharah initiative, which would invite civil society, business fraternity, local communities and non-governmental organizations to plant saplings, remove litters and help turn the deserted roads into green on the national highways, thoroughfares and motorways.

"Initially 10 to 25 kilometers road would be given to the donors to develop healthy green belts and ensure cleanliness across the route. The ministry is working with communications ministry over the project to give incentives to the donors, civil society and industrial partners under the project by issuing their Names at the end of National Highway Authority (NHA) milestones and signboards for its publicity to give a good sense of ownership," she remarked.

Briefing about the second project 'Water Table Regulatory Authority (WATRA)', she said it was high time to launch that initiative as it was going to be the first in the history of the country that underground water table would be regulated.

"For instance, in Lahore urbanization, mushrooming industries and beverages were drilling out underground water ruthlessly, which was resulting in depletion of water table from 50 feet to more than 300 feet. WATRA would research and issue certificates in the areas like Lahore, having extremely depleted water table and also find far-flung areas having scarce underground water such as Balochistan, which would help in reducing the stress of urbanization in the five mega cities of the country and also regulate the underground water," she maintained.

The ministry, she said in its first 100 days had saved Rs 30 million whereas it had not bought any new car or made futile foreign visits. The MoCC had also recouped its 725 acres land encroached in Banni Gala, whereas the land would be established into a botanical garden or national park.

Referring to the lurking smog issue, the minister opined that the issue had been addressed in time as brick kilns had been shut down for a month in the Punjab province, crop residual burning had been banned, awareness was raised among the contributors to the dangerous pollution, and the issue was also taken up with the foreign minister for trans-boundary smog issue.

"I thank the brick kiln owners for cooperating with the ministry, however their (brick kiln owners) training would also be conducted and the Eco-friendly Zigzag technology would be introduced," she added.

To a question, she said the Billion Tree Tsunami in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been accepted globally under the Bonn Challenge that recognized the trees being planted in the province, while there was modality rate which determined the plants growth and the trees after five years were visible across the Kohat-Banu road, which was deserted earlier.

"All the provinces are on board on 10BTT as they realize that climate change impact has no jurisdiction and political difference. The project cycles (PC1s) have been called from the provinces and the project is proceeding at a satisfactory pace," she said.