LAHORE: The forest department organised 2,614 awareness programmes as well as 3,159 other activities to encourage plantation. The department distributed 35m saplings among the people free of cost against the target of 34m in 2022 while 23 new government nurseries were added this year, taking the nurseries’ total number to 460.

The department’s spokesperson states some 58m plants of various types were produced in nurseries this year while more than 556 acres of occupied land of the department were recovered.

Some 228 FIRs were registered with the forest department against tree cutting and thousands of logs were recovered. He stated the department completed three development schemes — expansion and renovation of Bhakkar Forest Park, Forest Academy and Forest Complex– completed this year at the cost of Rs803m.

The department’s animal breeding initiative resulted in the increase of 381 animals and birds in the Safari Zoo and 287 in the Lahore Zoo.

Published in Dawn, january 3th, 2023