LAHORE: Punjab forest department planted 102 million plants across Punjab from January to December 2022. The highest plantation was done in Bahawalpur with 2 million.
According to the departmental performance report 2022 issued here on Friday, the total number of trees planted under the Ten billion Tree Tsunami Program reached 310 million till now. As many as 2614 awareness programs were organized in the province this year, while the number of other awareness activities related to encouraging plantation was 3159.
The department distributed 35 million saplings to the people free of charge against the target of 34 million in 2022, while 23 new government nurseries were added this year, now the total number of nurseries across Punjab raised to 460.
More than 58 million plants of various types were produced in nurseries, while more than 556 acres of occupied land of the forest department was recovered. Similarly, 228 FIRs were registered against the incidents of tree cutting and thousands of logs were recovered.
The department completed three development schemes at the cost of Rs 803 million, which included the expansion and renovation of Bhakkar Forest Park, Forest academy and Forest Complex. On the other hand, animal breeding resulted into increase of 381 animals and birds in the safari zoo and 287 in the Lahore zoo.
Minister Forest Syed Abbas Ali Shah and Secretary Forest Shahid Zaman expressed their satisfaction on the performance report and said that during the year 2022, special measures were taken to improve the overall performance and creating awareness about plantation and animal protection. Minister Forest and Secretary Forest expressed their determination to continue the same vision in 2023.
