ISLAMABAD, July 12: The ministry of environment, and forestry department are launching Tarbela watershed programme this year to protect forest areas and conserve water resources.

The ministry has allocated Rs198 million for the project to be completed within two years in collaboration with the local community.

The inspector general forests, Bashir Ahmed Wani, told the agency that this programme was part of the ministry’s Programme for Poverty Alleviation through Participatory Watershed Programme.

He said the money would be spent on construction of chuckdams and streamlining water resources in the NWFP.

Wani said unmanaged water resources flowing towards Tarbela Dam from catchment areas and river water falling into it was causing loss to land and trees.

He said tree cutting in mountain areas results in damaging our ecosystem, warm the climate and bring mud and stones into rivers wiping out the possibilities of clean water reaching to our water reservoirs.

“Unmanaged water was resulting into forests depletion and land erosion as well as bringing more mud, sand and stones to the dam,” he added.

Dr Wani said the ministry had chalked out an elaborate programme to protect forests in mountain areas as depletion of present resources and tree cutting was not only harming the soil but also the beauty in these areas.

“Controlling water contamination in higher and catchment areas to ensure clean water for dams will also help increase the life of our valuable water reservoirs and ensure the long-term energy generation,” he said.

About carrying out the programme, the IG forests said, there were around 200 community organizations in these areas, who would be involved in protecting the watershed areas and streamlining this resource.

He said more land would come under cultivation after making chuckdams in these areas to benefit the local people as part of the government policy of poverty alleviation. He said after making the land usable and harnessing the water resources, the local people would also be asked to plant trees in these areas.

“We will also launch an awareness raising campaign for the local people to enable them to play role in protecting environment,” he said, adding local people would also be provided plants to set up nurseries.