Punjab Forests Dept Making All Out Efforts To Achieve 103 M Plantation Target

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Mar, 2021 ) :The Punjab Forests Department is making all out efforts to achieve 103 million plantation target set for the plantation campaign 2021.

According to a spokesman of the Punjab Forests Department, all the departments concerned were making all out efforts to achieve the target set for the plantation campaign 2021.

He informed that nearly 103 million saplings would be planted across the province during the current plantation campaign.

He said over 85 million saplings worth Rs26 billion were planted during financial year 2019-20 under 10 billion tree tsunami plantation drive while the target of over 103 million saplings would be achieved during financial year 2020-21.

To a query, he informed that the forest department had planted 30 million saplings under current target till February 2021 while over 67 million saplings would also be planted during March to June period.

To another query, he said over 244 nurseries of the Punjab Forests Department were set up to grow required stocks of the plants besides establishing 363 sale points to provide saplings to the citizens only at Rs 2 subsidized rate.

He said the government was taking solid steps for the development of forests and a Clean and Green Pakistan was among its top priorities.

That was why; Prime Minister Imran Khan after coming into power had started the campaign to plant the trees at a huge level in the country, he added.

He said all available resources were being utilized for this purpose in the province.

About 25% of the land of any country should have a forest for a healthy environment and sustainable economy, while there was only 4% of land in Pakistan consists of forest, said a forest expert.

He stressed on the plantation for saving the environment and to ease the lives of human beings and animals on the earth.

He urged the citizens particularly youngsters to plant more trees to promote a green environment and help combat pollution. "We should pledge not only to plant trees but also nurture them. Institutions should realise their responsibility and organize activities and implement measures to help control environmental pollution," he added.

He said Pakistan lost 42,000 hectares of its forests every year and was known to have the highest rate of deforestation in Asia.

Tree plantation was a national need to combat climate change, control air pollution and make a healthier greener environment for current and future generations, he maintained.

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