112,500 indigenous trees, shrubs will be planted in forest

LAHORE    -   On the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), Lahore will grow Asia’s largest Miyawaki urban forest over an area of 100-Kanal in China Park near Saggian Bridge. A total of 112,500 indigenous trees and shrubs will be planted in the park.

In a statement, the CM said such urban forests would be developed at 15 other places in Lahore city to grow 292,500 trees.

Giving details, the CM said 58,000 trees would be planted over an area of 50-Kanal in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, adding that 58,000 trees would be grown over an area of 50-Kanal in Township. “As many as 13,500 trees will also be planted at 12-Kanal land of township nursery,” he added.

“Similarly, Miyawaki urban forests will also be developed at C-Block Sabzazar, Ganj Sarkar Sabzazar, Qaddafi Park Gulshan-e-Ravi, Saggian Interchange, Rustam Park Gulshan-e-Ravi, Karim Park Golbagh near Data Darbar, Side-1 and Side-2 of Mahmood Booti, Green Town, Mustafa Bhatti Park Township, Kashmir Park, and Khalid Butt Park Township,” he stated.

The CM regretted that the historic city of Lahore was defaced in the previous tenure by raising huge structures of concrete, adding that the irresponsible logging of trees further devastated the environment. “The past rulers’ corrupt practices increased political pollution while their policies compounded the environmental degradation,” he maintained.

“The lack of forests is resulting in environmental degradation, but the extensive tree-plantation drive by the government will help overcome smog and pollution,” the CM remarked. “The 10-billion tree tsunami programme is a game-changer initiative to make Pakistan clean and green, and the government will overcome smog and environmental degradation by planting more and more trees,” concluded the chief minister.