BAJAUR: A monsoon tree plantation campaign was launched in several districts on Friday.

Deputy commissioner Mohammad Fayyaz launched the ‘Plant for Pakistan’ campaign in Bajaur tribal district during a ceremony with a target to plant 2.5 million saplings.

Senior officials of the administration, forest department and political and social activists were in attendance.

On the occasion, the deputy commissioner claimed that it was the biggest plantation drive in the history of Bajaur under the federal government sponsored ‘Plant for Pakistan’ campaign.

He directed the forest officials to improve the forest cover in Bajaur by planting more and more trees.

In Mohmand district, the monsoon plantation campaign was launched by additional deputy commissioner Syed Saif-ul-Islam by planting a tree on the lawns of the divisional forest office in Ghalanai.

Divisional forest officer Mohammad Siddique Khan told the function on the occasion that over 1.3 million saplings would be planted across the district during the drive.

He said 22 per cent of the land in Mohmand comprised forests, which would be enhanced.

Mr Siddique said protection of forests was the responsibility of ‘all of us’. He appealed to the people to protect trees.

In Karak, various social welfare organisations kicked off a seed plantation drive in Latamber union council under the umbrella of Sheen Zarghoon, a local welfare body.

The volunteers threw large quantities of seeds in the hilly and plain areas of the union council.

They spread 35 kilogrammes seeds of different plants suitable to the local environment.

The volunteers resolved to turn the barren lands into greenbelts.

They said only spreading of seeds was not sufficient and they would have to protect the plants from animals.

They recalled that efforts of last year’s seeds plantation campaign had borne fruit as large number of plants had grown which would become trees in two years.

They said the activity would have positive effect on the local environment.

They urged volunteers to create awareness about the importance of forestation among the local people.

The volunteers said the campaign would be extended to the entire district to improve the forest cover.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2020