LAHORE: The Parks and Horticulture Agency (PHA), Bahawalpur, has planted around 1,000 native trees along a nine-kilometre stretch of a canal as part of a three-day “Neem Yatra” campaign aimed at making the city greener and raising awareness about climate change.
The plantation drive was held on Aug 29, 30 and 31 from Dewan Bridge to the Civil Hospital Road, with schoolchildren, college and university students, teachers, poets, singers, writers, local residents and civil society activists participating in the campaign.
The PHA provided a variety of native trees, including neem, tilkan, amaltas, kachnar, sukh chain and bakain, which were planted along both banks of the canal.
The participation of children was a prominent feature of the campaign, with minor schoolchildren also actively planting saplings alongside other citizens. The participating children were later awarded certificates in recognition of their contribution to the campaign.
Officials of the Civil Defence, Irrigation department and district administration also took part in the drive.
The PHA, in collaboration with local organisation Kar-e-Kamal, also planted different shrubs at Khizra Park. Activists from Kar-e-Kamal and Parh Lo were among those who joined the campaign.
Many local residents, including teachers, also donated plants for the drive. A large number of citizens approached the plantation teams, planted saplings and left after contributing to the campaign.
The PHA carried out the major plantation activity on Aug 29, while safety wires were installed around the newly-planted trees on Aug 30 and 31 to protect them from damage.
PHA Managing Director Nayyar Mustafa said poets, writers, students, teachers, civil society activists and other citizens had been invited to participate in the campaign so that tree plantation could become a collective effort.
He said the Neem Yatra was the first campaign of its kind launched by the agency in the city and was aimed at increasing green cover and helping combat the impacts of climate change.
Mr Mustafa said the agency would continue plantation activities at different locations in the city and engage citizens in protecting and caring for the newly-planted trees.
He said the participation of students and children in the campaign was particularly important as it would help develop a sense of responsibility among the younger generation towards the environment.
Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2026
