LAHORE: The civil society joined hands with the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) on Friday for an Independence Day tree plantation event to honour the gardeners, hailing them as “real heroes”.

Under the banner of the Lahore Conservation Society and Lahore Bachao Tehreek, the ‘Model Green Partnership: Honour Our Real Heroes’ was aimed at continuing the prime minister’s ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ campaign and celebrating the gardeners.

Indigenous and fruit trees were planted on the greenbelt of the Canal Urban Heritage Park. The PHA chairman facilitated the digging of pits while the trees were donated by citizens. The authority will maintain the trees that have been adopted by children, families and senior citizens.

The plantation event was dedicated to the “real heroes”, the gardeners of Lahore who maintained trees and plants across the city, and to give dignity, respect and a sense of pride and ownership to the citizens.

The organisers said the project was meant to lead the way to innovative people-centric and inclusive interventions to not only increase the lost green footprint of the city, but revive the bird population, flora and fauna and restore the ecological balance of Lahore.

“A series of interventions have been planned between the PHA and Lahore Bachao Tehreek/Lahore Conservation Society all over Lahore, recognising the dire health emergency due to increased pollution levels and depleting green cover and trees,” said Imrana Tiwana of the non-governmental organisation, Lahore Bachao Tehreek.

She said priority would be given to densely populated low to middle income areas where no public spaces or green areas existed. This inclusive approach, she said, cleaned the air, provided shade in public spaces, restored ecological equilibrium and created community cohesion and wellbeing.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2020