Minister for Forests claims to make Punjab Green

Lahore : Provincial Minister for Forests, Wildlife and Fisheries Malik Muhammad Asif Bha Awan said that all resources are being utilized to meet the target of planting 9 million saplings. Nevertheless, he said that the government could not make plantation campaign a success without assistance of the masses, so the residents of Punjab should play their role to make the province greener.

This was disclosed by the Punjab Minister for Forests, Wildlife and Fisheries Malik Muhammad Asif Bha Awan while talking to media persons here Tuesday. He claimed that the Punjab government was toeing an effective strategy of enhancing plantation and area under forest cover in the province. He said that the Punjab Forest Department bringing change in its strategy for ‘tree plantation campaign monsoon 2016’ has not fixed the target of planting 9 million saplings with an aim to bring one per cent more land under forests in the province.

Malik said now the department has decided to arrange ‘farmer’s day’ on nurseries of forest department spread across the province creating awareness among the masses about importance of forests. He said the new strategy besides enhancing area under forest cover by one per cent will also concentrate on improving the management of hill forests and desert forests. The government will ensure usage of new technology and scientific information to make the tree plantation campaign a success and promoting plantation on public and private nurseries. He revealed that trees planted under current campaign will be checked through geographic information system.