KARACHI, Aug 12: About 600 boys and girls of primary schools of the Lyari Expressway Rehabilitation Project (LERP) took part in a mass tree plantation programme at their dwelling place to mark the beginning of festivities for independence day.

The boys and girls, in neat and clean uniforms and holding national flags in their hands, planted some 200 trees along the 150-feet wide road of their newly emerged but sprawling township.

The most significant feature of the plantation programme was their demonstration of exemplary discipline. An important feature of the ceremony was that there was no chief guest. Each boy and girl signified themselves as chief guest.

The plantation was organised firstly, as part of the independence day celebrations and secondly, for environmental beautification of the town. The boys were divided into groups of three with one boy carrying the national flag, one planting a tree and the third watering the plant.

Each group of boys was also accompanied by three girls, who also held national flags and stood alongside the road in rows. "We want to make our new abode to be surrounded with greenery," a girl remarked in an innocent tone.

After the children had completed the plantation, they were taken back to their respective classes to continue with their academic activities. Education has been focussed as the most important segment of the the rehabilitation project.

During the two-month holidays, when schoolchildren spent their time either at home or out of Karachi on excursion tours, the children of LERP schools preferred to join "summer education camps" organised by the LERP authorities.

At the end of their summer camp schooling, they were taken to the Mazar of Quaid-i-Azam and Safari Park. The number of students in the LERP schools was rising gradually and so was the LERP's technical institute, where girls were being taught computer, handicrafts making and other skills.

The computer class was being attended by girls in two groups of 15 girls each, while the handicrafts section was being attended by 60 girls in two groups of 30 girls each. The LERP authorities plan to construct a bigger institute to cater for the rising number of girls desirous of admission to computer and handicraft making classes. - APP