PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday decided to increase forest cover in the province by launching the ‘Billion Tree Plus’ project.

The decision was made in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur and attended by forest minister Fazal Hakim, principal secretary to the CM Amjad Ali Khan, forest secretary Nazar Hussain Shah and relevant officials.

Officials briefed participants of the meeting about the forest department’s affairs, including performance, targets, administrative and related matters, according to an official statement issued by the CM’s House.

Mr Gandapur directed authorities to complete homework for the new afforestation project and said that an effective strategy should also be formulated to enhance revenue collection by the department and prevent the cutting of forests in the province.

Gandapur orders installation of CCTV cameras at forest checkposts

He ordered a substantial increase in the fine for illegally cutting down forests and logging timber and said the fine should be more than the value of the timber harvested.

The chief minister also said CCTV cameras should be installed at all forest checkposts to keep a close watch on timber smuggling and other illegal activities.

He also directed authorities to come up with viable proposals and an action plan for promoting fisheries in the province.

Launched in 2015 by PTI chairman Imran Khan, Billion tree Tsunami project was meant to turn the tide on land degradation and loss in the mountainous, formerly forested KP province in the Hindu Kush mountain range.

The then provincial government of PTI had claimed that one billion trees were planted.

However, the project was later hit by scandals as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had claimed that only 250 million trees were planted. Inquiries were also launched to probe irregularities in the project.

It was alleged that plants were not acquired as per market rate and were actually bought at a higher rate from nurseries, who were not aware of the requirements.

According to NAB documents, there are currently six inquiries being made regarding the Billion Tree Tsunami Project, while one inquiry has been completed regarding the alleged corruption in the same project in Dera Ismail Khan.

On the other hand, PTI termed it a flagship project of its government and claimed that the scheme was lauded across the globe by environmentalists and conservationists.

Also, the chief minister presided over a meeting about the Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway.

Officials briefed him about the progress of the motorway project, its total cost, and the proposed alignment.

Mr Gandapur directed officials to consider the ‘build, operate, and transfer’ option for the construction of the Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and said that all necessary steps should be ensured for the purpose.

Officials told participants that the 365km long motorway would have two tunnels and 19 interchanges, benefiting a sizeable population.

They also said that the Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway was discussed in the eighth meeting of the Joint Working Group of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, and it was decided that the project would be reconsidered in its next meeting.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2024