RAWALPINDI, Aug 09 :As many as 800,000 more saplings of different species under ‘Plant for Pakistan’ campaign would be planted with the active participation of the masses in Chakwal Range during monsoon season said Deputy Commissioner Chakwal, Bilal Hashim while planting saplings at different places.
He said that the Punjab Forest Department (Extension) Rawalpindi Division had laid foundation of dense potential forests on a vast area of neglected barren lands in Chakwal.
Divisional Forest Officer (Extension) Rawalpindi Division, Jameel Ahmed Bangash and District Range Forest Officer (Extension) Chakwal Sher Afzal Raja were present on the occasion.
The team headed by DC Chakwal planted 5000 saplings in a single day in Akhuwat College, Chakwal. Girls and boys students of the college along with the principal Saba Hassam took part in the plantation campaign by planting saplings.
The principal of the college also announced to donate one kanal of college land for the purpose of developing nursery over it.
He further said that 3000 kanals of more neglected barren land had been identified by the District Range Forest Office, which would be made fertile and green on the expenses of Punjab government.
“5000 kanals of such land have already been made productive where saplings have been planted by the local office of forest department”, he added.
Sher Afzal Raja informed that over 600 plants of different types of fruits had been handed over to the administration of Akhuwat Collage to grow them in their college. He also applauded efforts of DC Chakwal and other officers of district administration who helped the forest department to achieve a big success in tree plantation campaign.
He said that 3000 kanals of more barren land would be cultivated for forests under ‘Green Pakistan Programme’ launched by the Punjab Forest Department.
Sher Afzal Raja further said that the Punjab Forest Department was bearing all the expenses for the resettlement of all the barren lands owned by the farmers in the division.
He said that this scheme was launched under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project and Forest Department employees had been working on it day and night.
