KARACHI: A non-governmental organisation showed up at the Burns Gardens with over a hundred fruit tree saplings to be planted there under their “Million Trees Programme”.

In all, Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment (Shehri-CBE) planted 144 tree saplings over three days, including 85 jamun or java plum trees, 24 almond trees, 17 imli or tamarind trees, 17 sharifa or custard apple trees, eight mango trees and two Ajwa date palms.

Apart from these, Shehri executive member Amra Javed also planted two saplings of a rare Hawaiian native tropical plant called the Cordia subcordata, which she grew in her house garden until they became mature enough to survive on their own with water and little care.

“It was a challenge to grow them here, but I just can’t wait to see the orange flowers sprouting on the trees in a few years,” Ms Javed said, while planting the saplings.

“Karachi, the city of lights, is experiencing an urban heat island affect like never before,” she said and added: “While the government is taking small steps to conquer this phenomena, the civil society have made it their mission to introduce solutions that give rapid results.”

“Shehri’s Million Trees Campaign is a solution to combating the urban heat island affect. To date, our NGO has planted over 20,000 trees in different areas of Karachi,” Ms Javed claimed.

Shahbaz Hasan, a young gardening enthusiast also present on the occasion, had brought with him a few mango saplings. “These mango saplings sprouted in the compost bed that I have at home and I couldn’t just kill them. I took care of them up till now, and I am finally relieved that they now have a space where they can thrive to their fullest,” he said.

“Also, I am glad that the location happens to be Burns Gardens where my father used to come and sit and study as a student of the nearby DJ Science College. He told me that the garden at that time used to be full of trees, like a thick forest,” Shahbaz said, hoping to witness that kind of dense greenery at the garden, which now has new saplings that are yet to grow into trees.

Meanwhile, Shahid, the head gardener at Burns Gardens, showed other trees which have been transplanted at the garden by other caring individuals. The trees planted by them had to be removed from their places of origin to make way for the Green, Orange and Red Line Rapid Bus Transit system.

“We transplanted over 28 trees and all of them, except for four, are now showing growth,” said the gardener while pointing to a tree bark which had newly sprouted flowers.

Rehan Ashraf and Hawwa Fazal of Shehri were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2022