Rawalpindi: The federal minister for Climate Change Mian Aslam while talking to the media after inaugurating Miyawaki forest in Rawalpindi said that the government has set up a target of planting One Billion Trees In 2022. He said that this plantation Campaign is in accordance with the vision of the prime minister to make a Green And Clean Pakistan. While appreciating the efforts of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), the minister said that the Establishment Of Miyawaki Forest in Rawalpindi is a great gift of RDA for the people of the city. He said that the plants in the forest have grown up to 8 to 9 feet in just seven to eight months and nearly 8500 plants of over 50 species have been grown in the forest. He added, “We have established nearly 100 urban Miyawaki Forests in Lahore and more than 100 Miyawaki Forests were also set up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” The minister said that the plantation of the beautiful urban forest in such a congested area is a wonderful achievement as per the policy of the incumbent government.
He further highlighted that the government has established a number of Miyawaki forests in Lahore and KP which reflects the seriousness of the government on the issue of green Pakistan. He said, “We have established nearly 100 urban Miyawaki Forests in Lahore and more than 100 Miyawaki Forests were also set up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” The Minister further informed, Asian Leopard Preservation Zone in MHNP has also been inaugurated to save this precious wildlife previously. He also said “The plantation under ten billion tree tsunami project was being carried out over 9500 sites and besides its other advantages, it will also help to preserve wildlife species in the country. We are going to put all the sites on the website. Today, its final approval has been given and anyone will be able to check the sites and the plantation activities. The step is being taken to ensure complete transparency for the project.”
Responding to a question regarding the felling of trees in Tehsil Kotli Sattian he said that an operation has been carried out in the area and the ones involved in this illegal act would be brought to justice. He added that the government is working on evolving a comprehensive strategy to protect forests whereby the local residents would be hired to work as forest guards to ensure that such incidents should not occur in the forest. He said that this experiment has already been carried out successfully in KP. In response to a quarry regarding the use of agricultural land by the housing societies, the minister said that the dictions have been issued that henceforth the agricultural land cannot be used for developing housing societies. He said that earlier the housing societies were approved at the district level but now the provincial cabinet would approve a housing society.
The minister further highlighted the steps taken by the current government for the protection and preservation of the greenery, environment, and natural scenic beauty of the country and said that there was no master plan for the city after 1960 and the current administration is embarked on preparing master plans of sixty different cities in the country under the directives of the prime minister. The master plans, he said would define the limits of the city and there would be no possibility of encroachment later on. He further added that the incumbent government is encouraging vertical developments so as to secure maximum area for agricultural purposes. Regarding environmental issues, the minister said that the government is going to issue an environmental audit of all housing societies very soon and stern action would be taken against those violating the rules.
