RAWALPINDI: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) began its monsoon tree plantation in the city with 62 graveyards on Saturday.

The saplings for the plantation were provided by the PHA, the authority’s director general Saif Anwar Jappa said, adding that local residents will be responsible for watering them and protecting them from trespassing.

He told Dawn the PHA started in Murree by planting deodar and pine trees.

“We prepared 10,000 seed balls to spread the seeds of pine and deodar trees in the hills,” he said, explaining that a seed ball is a small ball of clay filled with fertiliser and seeds that is thrown into open spaces so the seeds can spread and grow naturally.

Schoolchildren and government officials will participate in the plantation campaign, which began on Aug 6. The campaign will be formally inaugurated by the Rawalpindi commissioner on Aug 14.

Three camps will be operating in front of Nawaz Sharif Park and Benazir Bhutto International Airport from Monday, where PHA officials and traffic police will distribute free plants among people so they can plant them at home.

The campaign aims to raise awareness among people and give them plants to grow at home.

“The people will own the plants and save them for the future,” he said.

Downtown tree plantation

Mr Jappa said the PHA has managed to acquire more than 500 drums to plant trees in that will be placed in Raja Bazaar and on Iqbal Road.

“There is no space for greenbelts, so we came up with the idea to plant trees in big drums that will be colourfully painted and placed in the median and on pavements to make the area green,” he said.

“We will place the drums from Aug 14, and local trees will be planted in them,” he added.

The PHA has also made it compulsory for banks, petrol stations and commercial plazas to make greenbelts in and around their outlets, he said. A survey has begun and the PHA will write formal letters to them from Monday.

Private parties have also been invited to beatify the metro bus elevated track pillars; two firms have been selected and asked to present proposals on how to beautify the pillars, he added.

“The pillars and structure was owned by the Metro Bus Authority, but the advertisement rights are available with the PHA, so we – in coordination with the Metro Bus Authority – will make the pillars beautiful,” Mr Jappa said.

More than 12,000 plants have been planted in various parks and greenbelts in Rawalpindi city, and more saplings will be planted within a week, he said, adding that the flag-hoisting ceremony will also be held in Nawaz Sharif Park instead of the commissioner’s office.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2018