PESHAWAR, July 19: The NWFP forest department will plant over 13.204 million saplings in the province during the upcoming monsoon plantation campaign. NWFP secretary for environment and forests Noorul Haq on Thursday said 13.204 million saplings were available and more samplings would be purchased from the market to make the drive a success.

He said the environment and forests department would send the samplings to government departments, defence forces, NGOs, educational institutions and other concerns for plantation.

For the plantation drive, the province has been divided into five circles – southern, Fata, watershed areas, Abbottabad and Malakand regions – where 1.870 million, 6.902million, 1.924million, 1.189 million and 1.319 million, respectively, will be planted.

Mr Haq said services of the armed forces and village development committees would also be acquired to bring maximum areas under forest and vegetative cover in the NWFP.

He said the plantation strategy had been changed from the traditional procedure so that the target could be met.

The official said NGOs’ participation in the plantation drive would be encouraged and priority would be given to local communities and farmers through their respective village development committees.

He said forestry experts would give lectures over Radio and TV channels to create awareness among the masses about the importance of plantation.

He said a students’ awareness programme had also been planned under which divisional forest officers and range forest officers would visit educational institutes.

Mr Haq said services of local government representatives would be acquired and ulema had been approached to give lectures at Friday congregations about the importance of trees.—APP