Spring plantation campaign starts in KP.

PESHAWAR -- Spring plantation campaign has been started in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where about 164.841 million saplings of different species would be sown with the assistance of farmers, general public and forest department.

Shahidullah Khan, Secretary Environment, Forests and Wildlife, Shahidullah Khan inaugurated the spring plantation campaign by planting a sapling of olive tree at Bajaur tribal district. Chief Conservator North One, Conservator Merged Areas, Deputy Commissioner Bajaur and Conservator Wildlife were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary said forests play an important role in making the environment clean besides combating environmental pollution, desertification and climate change and urged people to actively participate in afforestation campaign by planting maximum saplings.

He said PTI Govt flagship 10 Billion trees afforestation project has been extended to merged areas where its vast land would be utilized to achieve the set plantation target.

The Secretary said climate of merged areas especially of Bajaur was most suitable for olive plantation and concrete measures were being taken to promote olive farming in the district with assistance of agriculture department and district administration.

He said time was near when farmers of Bajaur would export edible oil to others province and oversees after fully tapping olive potential in the district.

Spokesman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department told reporter that an inclusive plan has been chalked out to plant over 164.841 million saplings out of which 114.349 million are ready for plantation for spring season in the province.

About 164.841 million seedlings were raised in different departmental and private nurseries out of which 114.349 million are ready for plantation.

KP has been divided into three circles including central southern region-I Peshawar, northern forest region-II Abbottabad and Malakand forest region-III Swat where these saplings would be planted with the help of Government departments, farmers, NGOs, general public and forest department under an umbrella of 10 billion trees afforestation project (10BTAP).

Central southern region-I Peshawar has been divided into southern forest circle and merged areas (erstwhile Fata) where 59,440,590 plants were raised out of which 39,608,880 were fit for plantation.

In southern forest circle, as many as 19,269,239 plants raised out of which 11,833,694 were fit for plantation. Similarly...