PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led provincial government has approved ‘green and clean Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ plan to plant two billion saplings in the province over next five years and formal launching of the programme will be held in the first week of February.

The approval was given in a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak here on Thursday.

Under this mega project, four important sectors, including increasing forest-covered area, protected green areas, parks, promotion of environmental tourism, increasing resources of energy and climatic changes and resilience would also be paid special attention, says a handout.

The mega project, to be launched formally in Peshawar in February, would be completed phase-wise in the next five years. The project besides bringing betterment in the environment, health and tourism sectors would also generate maximum employment opportunities in the province.

The meeting was attended by senior minister Sirajul Haq, education minister Mohammad Atif, tourism minister Mehmood Khan, PTI vice-president Malik Amin Aslam, CM’s advisor on economic affairs Rafaqatullah Babar, parliamentary secretary on Environment Fazal Elahi, chief secretary Mohammad Shehzad Arbab and administrative secretaries of the concerned departments.

The formal inauguration of the programme would be attended by chairman PTI Imran Khan as chief guest besides central leadership of the coalition partners.

The programme included plantation of two billion saplings through the youth, students, community and representatives of other walks of life during next five years, afforestation on additional 30,000 acre barren land, streamlining spring and monsoon tree plantation drives, prevention of cutting and smuggling of forests under forest conservation, provision of mark-up free loans to youth under green credit scheme, doubling of the number of prevailing national parks, establishment of national and safari parks at district level and increasing the number and species of the wildlife.

Other schemes to be initiated under the programme included establishment of small and large power stations in energy and environment sectors on hydel and solar resources, fulfilling the energy requirements of the people, launching zero-carbon and solar tube-well schemes while initiating mass-transit scheme for Peshawar city and introduction of traffic control system.

The chief minister termed launching of the plan a good omen for the better future of the province and its people, saying that though schemes were also launched during previous governments, but left incomplete by citing reasons of scarcity of funds.

He said that this would not happen in future as the funds would be properly utilised for timely completion of important projects and there would be no excuse of scarcity of funds at any phase.

Mr Khattak said that increasing the forest area, checking smuggling of timber and following principles of carbon plus would not only ensure environmental improvement in the province, but the provision of domestic and international funds could also be guaranteed.

Citing the example of India where extra funds in NFC were given to the states on the basis of their forest covered area, the chief minister suggested that the federal government could also allocate NFC funds on the same pattern. He said that it was in the interest of the province to increase forest cover and make it environment friendly.

He hoped that by implementing ‘green and clean Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ plan the illegal smuggling of timber would be completely stopped.