RAWALPINDI: The ‘Plant for Pakistan’ campaign was launched in Rawalpindi and Attock on Thursday.

In Rawalpindi, Additional Commissioner (Coordination) Tariq Salam Marwat inaugurated the campaign by planting a sapling at Rawalpindi Gymkhana.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that trees contributed to improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving soil and supporting wildlife besides providing oxygen.

He said that trees were usually planted just before the onset of monsoon so that the saplings could get plenty of water to grow. He said that every member of the society should participate in tree plantation campaigns for improving their environment and quality of life.

“It is the need of the hour to spread the word and make people realise that in order to cope with the threat of global warming, all of us should take part in the plantation campaign,” he said.

District Forest Officer (North) Abbas Ali said that almost 40,000 saplings would be planted during the ‘Plant for Pakistan’ campaign named in relation to August 14.

Our Taxila Correspondent Adds: The district administration launched ‘Plant for Pakistan’ campaign with the collaboration of forest department in Attock.

In this connection, a seminar and walk were organised to create awareness among masses of planting trees.

Speaking on this occasion, MPA Jamshaid Altaf said that as many 800,000 saplings would be planted across the district during the campaign. He said that all the provincial and district departments had been given targets in this regard.

The MPA said that tree plantation was the key to coping with environmental pollution and climate change effects.

He said that ‘Plant for Pakistan’ movement was an important campaign of the present government for protection of environment which would be made successful by adopting a coordinated strategy.

He said that through this initiative the government wanted to encourage people, communities, organisations and members of civil society to collectively plant trees.

Deputy Commissioner Ishratullah Khan said on the occasion that there was a dire need to plant more trees in the city to minimise the impact of global warming. A monitoring and evaluation system has also been put in place, he said. “Forest cover in Pakistan is only 5 per cent while we need 25 per cent of the country to be covered by trees,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2019