KARACHI, Nov 20: The Karachi city government’s campaign for plantation of 0.8 million plants in the city by June 30, 2002 began with the planting of a coconut plant by provincial local government minister, Dewan Muhammad Yousuf Farooqi, at a ceremony held Bagh-i-Quaid-i-Azam here on Tuesday.

The city Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, Naib Nazim Tariq Hasan and the DCO Karachi were also present on the occasion.

On the occasion about one hundred sapling were also planted by schoolchildren.

Dewan Yousuf Farooqi on the occasion said that planting 0.8 million sapling was a huge task and the private sector organization and various NGOs should also be involved in this campaign.

He said the development of maximum greenery in the city would bring improvement in the deteriorating environmental conditions.

The tree plantation campaign will be carried out with the coordination of the provincial forest department.

The DO parks informed the minister that some 60 organizations had been associated with the plantation movement.—PPI