Women, Children Planted Fruit Plants During Plantation Drive At Kailash Barir Valley Of Chitral

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Feb, 2021 ) :A unique tree planting campaign has been launched in Kailash Barir Valley during which two thousand fruit plants were distributed free of cost among the people.

The plantation campaign was started by planting of a sapling fruit plants by women and children of the area, a gesture of involving local people in promotion of green cover in the area.

The campaign was launched with collaboration of Forest Department and was organized by the food and Agriculture Organization's Chalghoza Project.

Around 2,000 fruit trees were distributed free of cost among the people of Barir Valley to generate livelihood and reduce the burden on forests.

In this regard, a function was also held at the Community Based school Birir in which large number of women and children belonging to the Kailash tribe also participated.

Ejaz Ahmed, Provincial Coordinator, FAO Chalghoza Project, explained the technical method of planting and caring for the plants, how far they should be planted and what should be mixed in the soil at the time of planting so that the plants do not get damaged and grow quickly.

Expressing his views, Umair Nawaz, SDFO, Forest Department, said that people here mostly use forest wood, so if they get fruit from these plants they can earn livelihood for themselves and their families.

on the other hand, they can cut their branches and burn them, thus reducing the burden on the forest.

Ejaz Ahmed said that he arranges stove for them which consumes alternative energy instead of wood and it stays warm for a long time. Besides, those local will be rewarded whose orchard is best in all aspects so that other people will be attracted to it.

Unat Baig Kailash, President, Chalghoza Forest Protection and Conservation Committee of Barir valley thanked the officials of Forest Department and Chalghoza Project for distributing fruit trees free of cost.

Shamsul Rabi, organisation's general secretary, said the project would also change the fortunes of the people in the area, who would plant fruit trees and eat the fruit themselves and sell it to cover their household expenses.

Some Kailash women also demanded that they mostly burn forest wood for cooking and heating purposes for which the Federal and provincial governments should provide them with alternative sources of gas or cheap electricity so that they can use gas as alternate source of energy and prevent deforestation.