LAHORE, Jun 5: The Punjab government will increase spendings on environment protection programmes in the budget for the year 2006-07. Provincial environment minister Makhdoom Ashfaq Ahmad said this while speaking as chief guest at a seminar on the World Environment Day with the theme “Don’t desert dry-lands” here on Monday.

The Institute of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) organised the seminar in collaboration with the Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD).

Environment experts presented eight papers in two technical sessions of the seminar while IEP president Aftab Islam Agha presided over it.

The minister said expansion of forestation, repair and remodelling of canals and barrages were included in the programmes being launched during the next year.— APP