MULTAN: Although the government spends a huge amount on the plantation of trees every year, most of the saplings planted by district and divisional heads do not grow and die, it is learnt.

Every year, two major campaigns are officially launched - one, in the spring season and another in the monsoon - in which the heads of district and divisional administrations besides other officers plant trees at ceremonies. The administration never bothers to get briefing over the survival rate of the previously planted saplings.

During a visit to Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh by this correspondent, it was revealed that the saplings planted by the administrative heads were not being properly looked after whereas many of the plants were missing. The situation at Pul Mauj Darya where administrative heads planted trees in the previous campaign was also pathetic.

Sources said that authorities more focus on ceremonies of the plantation of saplings during the campaigns and never bother to check the survival rate of the saplings while they also do not confirm that either the number of saplings mentioned in the record is correct or not.

According to the official data available with Dawn, the target to plant saplings in the division in ongoing year is 605,000 saplings, of which Multan district’s share is 90,000, Khanewal’ 43,600 and Lodhran’s 79,000.

The forest department has to plant 276,000 and 14,000 saplings in government’s forests located in Khanewal and Lodhran districts; of them, 30,000, 40,000 and 20,000 saplings are to be provided to different government departments (majorly educational and health institutions) in Multan, Khanewal and Lodhran districts. Also, 75,000 saplings were allocated to the defence department and 150,000 for private land.

The forest department claims that till June 22 this year, 232,000 (258 percent), 986,000 (226 percent) and 119,000 (151 percent) saplings had been planted in Multan, Khanewal and Lohdran districts; while total planted saplings are 1.34 million which is 221 percent of the total target.

The local forest department refused to provide the lists of the government department provided with saplings.

Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak said that it was the responsibility of the forest department to track the growth of the planted trees. He said the forest department should get report ob the condition of the planted trees from departments.

Divisional Forest Officer Tariq Mehmood, however, said that it was not the responsibility of the department to check the saplings planted every year. Departments were responsible for taking care of them.

“We only keep constant observation and optimum care of the saplings planted in government forest to ensure their maximum survival rate. Performance of the field staff is also monitored on a regular basis and if there is any negligence, action is taken against them; however, when the plants are handed over to other departments, it is the responsibility of the departments to ensure their care,” he added.

The DC at a meeting on Saturday said that now follow-up of each planted sapling will be taken to ensure the proper growth of the planted trees and it will not be done as paper work.

He said that the 50,000 saplings were going to be planted on Sunday.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2019