CM Sindh inaugurates spring tree plantation campaign

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday inaugurated spring tree plantation campaign 2018 by planting a palm tree at Chief Minister House.

The campaign has simultaneously been started in all 29 districts of the province with a target of planting over half a million saplings on the inaugural day, and over 20 million trees planted across spring this year.

The campaign aims at planting mainly local tree species saplings in public and community places such as educational institution, bus stops, road sides, etc. The schools run by Sindh Education Foundation have also been actively involved in the campaign all over the province.

CM Sindh emphasised planting and protecting trees and forests in all ecological regions of Sindh, ranging from coastal mangrove ecosystem to riverine forests, and sustainable use of land resources in barrage areas of the province.

The chief minister on the occasion directed the forest department to launch anti-encroachment drive against forest land grabbers land and plant trees on vacated land.

Secretary Forest Asif Hyder Shah informed the chief minister said that the target of tree plantation given to the department would be achieved.

The division-wise tree planting targets for the days are as follows: Karachi has a target of 10.375 million saplings but today 165,000 are being planted. Hyderabad has a target of 3.5 million plants and today 100,000 are being planted. Mirpurkhas has spring target of 900,000 plants against which 15,000 are being planted today. Shaheed Benazirabad has a target of 1.75 million saplings and today 55,000 are being planted. Larkana has spring target of 1.875 million saplings and today 85,000 are being planted. Sukkur has a target of 1.6 million saplings and today 80,000 saplings are being planted.

CM Sindh appreciated mangrove planting success of Sindh forest department since the last two decades and directed the department to come up with a strategy for forest rehabilitation in riverine and irrigated plantation areas of the province.

He directed chief conservator of forests Aijaz Nizamani to spearhead the anti-encroachment campaign on forestland and ensure planting of forests on vacated lands in order to prevent the recurrence of encroachment on the retrieved area.