FEBRUARY reminds us of the national plantation campaign. Both at national and provincial levels, there are claims by the government and NGOs that they have planted millions of saplings.

This practice has been going on for the last many decades and if there is only one per cent reality in the claim, then there would be no space in Pakistan without any plant. But the reality is different and all these ceremonial practices are carried out for the purpose of an eyewash to fool the public.

Millions of rupees are siphoned off from the hard-earned income tax of the poor people under the cover of plantation, and if some plants are introduced in the area, their impact is counter-productive. This is because diseases are transferred to local and indigenous plants through the plantation of new saplings.

People of Chitral are experiencing serious problems in protecting their kitchen gardens, especially walnut trees, apple trees, mulberry and peaches, from the infection which is probably transferred from those plants which are brought to the district from other parts of Pakistan without conducting any research on the compatibility of plants with the climate of Chitral. Initially, there should be a system of local nursery in Chitral and the practice of introducing plants from other areas should be discouraged. The government and NGOs working in Chitral should sort out the problem and promote local nurseries having compatibility with local soil.

Rehmat Ali Jaffardost

Environmental activist

Chitral

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play