ISLAMABAD, July 23: Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Abdur Rauf Chaudhry formally launched the monsoon tree plantation campaign by planting a sapling in F-9 Park here on Wednesday morning.

The Authority has already launched the campaign under which around 200,000 saplings will be planted in the urban and rural areas of the federal capital.

The Authority has been encouraging the private and the public sector institutions for well over a decade to enhance the green cover in Islamabad Capital Territory, Margalla hills and the catchment area of Simly dam. For this purpose, big chunks of land have been allotted to Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC), Pakistan International Airlines and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like the Margalla Hills Society (MHS) to join in both the spring and the monsoon tree plantation campaigns.

The PTC has set up a big nursery at the corner of the F-9 park from where it supplies saplings for both the plantation seasons. The Wednesday’s function was also held at the same nursery.

Jim Kirk, Director Leaf of the PTC, said his company aimed to plant at least 10,000 saplings daily during the campaign to achieve the set target of half-a-million this year. These 500,000 saplings will be planted in the federal capital in addition to 200,000 saplings by the Authority.

The CDA Chairman, Abdul Rauf Chaudhry, appreciated the efforts of various industrial houses for their contributions towards the vision of a greener Islamabad and greener and prosperous Pakistan. He said the encouraging factor in the involvement of private sector organisations was that they also ensured that the saplings planted were properly cared.