PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday launched spring tree plantation campaign with introduction of latest GPS technology to ensure proper growth of every sapling.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak opened the tree plantation campaign 2015 by planting a sapling of Chinar at the lawns of the Chief Minister House here on Monday, according to a handout.

Talking to mediapersons on the occasion, Mr Khattak said that the tree plantation drive was being launched with new vigour wherein 350 million saplings would be planted in streamlined and scientific ways. He said that the number would be increased to one billion trees during the coming three years.

A salient feature of the campaign, he said, would be the use of latest GPS technology that would not only ensure proper growth of each and every sapling but its illicit cutting would be immediately traced and dealt with accordingly.

Provincial Minister for Environment Ishtiaq Khan Urmar and secretary environment Syed Nazar Hussain Shah were among those in attendance.

The chief minister deplored that increasing environmental degradation was continuously posing a serious threat to the globe. He regretted that ruthless harvesting of trees and erosion of fertile lands due to floods were the basic reasons for ever soaring air, water and soil pollution.

He said that PTI-led coalition government had initiated revolutionary steps to arrest this alarming situation as trees provided fresh air and oxygen to all living beings on earth.

“The cutting of a tree is a crime similar to killing a human being,” he asserted, saying that even Islam strictly forbade its followers not to harm or destroy standing crops and greenery during the wars with enemies.

Mr Khattak said that his government had come up with comprehensive legislation and effective policies to discourage mighty timber mafia at every cost and to save the green gold from destruction.

He said that basic and revolutionary changes had been brought about in the management and policies of environment and forestry. “The provincial government introduced a brisk tree plantation campaign under green growth initiative and a billion tree tsunami project wherein colossal funds have been released to make it a success story,” he added, saying that all traditional and non-traditional ways were being adopted for tree plantation and increase in forested areas.

The chief minister said that people would be given saplings and technical support to ensure their full participation in the noble cause.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2015

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