KARACHI, Dec 12: The city government has launched a special tree plantation campaign under its beautification scheme.

During the campaign 15,000 big and 15,000 small size trees will be planted on roadsides and the central islands, and roundabouts will be decorated with big flower pots, herbs and shrubs and growth of grass on road banks.

The parks department of the city government has begun work and plants and grass are being grown on Rashid Minhas Road, Shahrah-i-Pakistan, Ibn Sina Road, University Road, Shaheed-i-Millat Road and Sharea Faisal.

Karachi Nazim Naimatullah Khan on Thursday visited various important roads and areas to review the tree plantation and greenery development work.

He was accompanied by his coordinator, Abdul Razaq Hashmi, the D.O. for parks, Liaquat Ali; the D.O. for media management, Bashir Suduzai, and other officials.

On the occasion, the Nazim was informed that some 15,000 plants over six-foot tall were available at four nurseries of the city government, and work on their plantation along selected roads had been started. Some 1,000 holes have been dug up around Civic Centre, where flower plants are being planted.

Besides, he was informed that 250,000 saplings were available in small nurseries out of which 15,000 will be planted. The Nazim was told that the parks department would complete the plantation of 30,000 plants out of its own sources by the end of the year.

The Nazim directed that steps be taken for associating the private sector with this campaign. For this purpose he directed that a meeting of heads of multi-national companies be convened at which they be given a multi-media briefing on the beautification drive.

He directed the officials to prepare layouts of such pieces of land where parks were to be developed. He said he would undertake such visits every month to review the work.

He said that instead of buying, the required fertilized earth should be procured from the government’s own resources and be transported to specified spots through the city government’s vehicles. He said the city government would not make additional expenditure on this count. —APP