Forest Deptt To Supply 2m Saplings In April

The forest department will supply two million saplings for extensive plantation that will begin from April 2019 in the division.

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Dec, 2018 ) :The forest department will supply two million saplings for extensive plantation that will begin from April 2019 in the division.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Liaqat Gulzar told APP that 1.7 million saplings were undergoing nurturing at nurseries while another 300,000 were already prepared.

The department, after planting more than 150,000 saplings till October 2018, had stopped the plantation due to off-season and this period was being availed to nurture saplings at nurseries.

Out of two million saplings, the department would plant 400,000 at Peerowal Jungle during April to June, 2019.

Another 500,000 saplings would be provided to people on subsidized price of Rs 8 per sapling, he said adding that departments like education, health and Army would also be provided saplings free.

Exactly 50,000 saplings would be delivered to the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) and over 10,000 have already been provided to them under the Green Punjab project.

Liaqat Gulzar said, the department had strived hard to control timber theft and got over 50 FIRs registered against thieves and recovered over Rs 2.5 million fine from them during the fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19.

He said that Jungles spread over 9500 acres in Multan, Khanewal and Lodhran districts were under the supervision of the forest department. He said that department was facing shortage of staff, vehicles and weapons to control timber theft.