January 23, 2008	Wednesday	Muharram 13, 1429

KARACHI, Jan 22: The Karachi city district government has prepared a coordinated programme to provide plants at cheaper rates to initiate a massive plantation drive to make the city greener, while seeking to involve other organizations in this campaign.

On the directives of City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, the CDGK’s department of forests and parks has launched a major project to rid the city of environmental pollution and to make it greener.

In this regard, 500,000 trees were planted in the first phase, distributed among various organizations, under the ‘Mission Greener Karachi Programme’ during 2006-07; some 700,000 plants were raised in nurseries under the CDGK’s control and these are now being supplied at cheap rates to the parks departments of Karachi’s towns and educational institutions.

During the campaign, so far 15,000 saplings have been planted along 23kms of roads in Malir, Memon Goth as well as along the Super Highway and Gadap Road, while 7,000 saplings have been planted at Thaddo Dam and the roads coming from Gadap Town.

Meanwhile, a proposal is also under implementation to develop a forest in Gadap Town along the lines of Changa Manga forest in Lahore.

In this regard, 55,000 trees have been planted on an area of 85 acres, which are now flourishing.

The city government has said that in the near future, this area would turn out to be a beautiful recreational park for citizens of Karachi.—APP