ISLAMABAD: In a positive development, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has started the process of preparing the first ever tree inventory to keep record of all trees in the capital.

Teams of the environment wing are currently numbering the trees.

“On the direction of the CDA chairman and member environment, process of marking all trees of Islamabad has been started,” a CDA official said, adding that all trees, including those in the Margalla Hills, would be numbered.

“This work is being done with the assistance of the environment protection staff,” he added.

The CDA, which recently faced criticism for cutting trees from three areas –Shakarparian forest (CDA says only paper mulberry was removed while citizens claim trees of other species had also been cut down), H-8 area where a ‘Monument Park’ is being developed and for this project some trees were chopped down, and Park Road where largescale tree cutting took place to build a dual carriage road for CDA-DHA housing scheme.

Civic body’s environment wing staff currently numbering trees; special attention sought for trees in Margalla Hills National Park

According to a resident of G-7 sector, Sharafat Ali, “the CDA deserves appreciation for initiating a project of marking trees”.

“I saw trees with numbers; this is a good step,” Sharafat Ali added.

He, however, cautioned that there was a need to keep a check on this important drive to ensure that it reaches its logical conclusion.

“Currently, it seems, CDA is focusing on the urban areas, but the officials are stating that all trees of Islamabad would be numbered,” he said, adding that special focus should be given to the Margalla Hills National Park to keep a record of all trees.

“In the urban areas, cutting of trees is a difficult task, however, it is the national park area that needs to be focused on,” he said.

The CDA officials maintained that all trees of Islamabad with 8 dia would be numbered in this drive.

It is relevant to note here that besides focusing on trees in the national park, there is also a need to protect the national park from encroachment.

“Recently, an attempt was allegedly made to occupy forest land in Bhara Kahu area which we foiled. Similar cases also took place in the past in other areas,” a CDA official, on condition of anonymity, said.

Recently CDA’s special magistrate, while hearing a case related to the said encroachment bid in the national park area, raised question marks over the conduct of the environment wing staff and issued show-cause notices to three officers.

Meanwhile, sources said protection of land in the Margalla Hills National Park is easy, as the CDA had GT sheets (maps with boundaries) of the entire national park area prepared by the British in 1905.

Whenever, any dispute arises between the locals and CDA over the boundary of the national park, “guidance should be taken from the GT sheets of 1905,” the official said, adding that boundaries marked in the GT sheets should be followed for proper protection of the national park.

Before, partition, this land belonged to the Government of Punjab, but it was later placed under CDA’s control.

The national park is located on the northern edge of Islamabad, south of Haripur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, extending over 15,782.74 hectares (39,000 acres).

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2026