July 30, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 26, 1429

KARACHI, July 29: As the parks department has failed to save trees from being felled in different areas, the city government imposed on Tuesday a complete ban on felling of trees anywhere in the metropolis, by any civic agency, without its prior approval.

Recently, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal had issued directives to the authorities concerned asking them not to allow felling of trees in the city. However, it seemed that no one paid heed to his directives as the destruction continued and there were growing complaints of chopping of trees in North Nazimabad on the pretext of reconstruction of a major storm-water drain.

The parks department has failed to develop a mechanism to monitor and stop felling of trees. The situation became a matter of embarrassment for the city nazim who had recently claimed that the city government was working on a Green Karachi project under which it planned to plant some 100,000 trees by the end of this year.

The nazim took serious notice of a report of felling of trees and directed all civic agencies, towns and union council administrations not to fell even a single tree without prior permission of the city government’s parks and recreation department.

The parks department will issue a no-objection certificate to a department or individual after assessing whether the felling of a tree in a particular area is inevitable.

He also directed the parks department to register cases against individuals, government or private organisations if found involved in felling trees without an NOC.