PESHAWAR: Under the ongoing monsoon plantation drive, thousands of saplings were planted in Charsadda, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) districts on Thursday.

In Charsadda, Provincial Minister for Labour Fazal Shakoor Khan and Commissioner Peshawar Division Riaz Khan Mehsud inaugurated the drive by planting a sapling, here on the lawns of Bacha Khan University.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mehsud said that climate and global warming were having bad impact in the shape of floods and natural calamities, causing loss of lives, properties, as well as adversely affecting the agriculture sector of the country.

In their speeches, deputy commissioner Charsadda and other senior officials said that they had planned to plant more than 10,000 trees on the varsity campus and other places.

In Lakki Marwat, more than five thousand fruit and eco-friendly saplings were planted on the premises of the University of Science and Technology in Bannu.

Divisional Commissioner Abid Wazir and Deputy Commissioner Abdul Hameed Khan inaugurated the tree plantation activity by planting a sapling.

Varsity students, faculty members, forest department officials, volunteers of Civil Defence Department and people from different walks of life planted 5000 plants in a single day.

Highlighting environmental benefits of forests, Mr Wazir said that the successful tree plantation campaigns would make Bannu a clean and green district.

Moreover, Deputy Commissioner (DC) DI Khan Sarah Rahman planted a sapling here at River Bank Road in connection with the ongoing monsoon plantation drive.

She underlined the need of planting maximum trees to address the intimidating challenge of climate change and global warming for the sake of future generations.

The DC said that a target was set for the plantation of 70,000 to 80,000 saplings at district and tehsil levels

Officials of the forest department, volunteers of Al Khidmat Foundation and members of other civil society organisations also planted saplings to mark the event.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2024