MoCC To Install GPS For Better Monitoring, Evaluation Of 10BTT: Zartaj

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Feb, 2020 ) :Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul has said the ministry of climate change was working out to install global position system (GPS) for effective monitoring and evaluation of 10 billion Tree Tsunami (10BTT) plantation programme.

This would help people to get in touch with their respective district forest officers (DFOs), chief commissioners and other officials responsible for managing plantation in their respective domains to monitor and give their input to improve plantation in their districts, she said while talking to APP.

Zartaj recommended Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to plant trees in the Federal capital instead of staging sit-in. "Planting more trees in the metropolis will help Maulana to conserve the environment and get reward from Almighty Allah," she added.

She said the provincial forest departments and authorities concerned were already on board and had a clear agenda for implementing 10BTT.

To a question, she said the parliamentarians had a key role in the success of these initiatives like 10BTT and plastic bags ban. "Unless the parliamentarians are not going to take the lead in monitoring their Constituencies the issues of poor implementation and price hike in household items cannot be controlled," Zartaj said.

The minister of state said, "I am personally monitoring my constituency and keep myself aware of the situation pertaining to prices of goods and plantation and remain in close coordination with the district management to provide relief to the masses." Responding to another query, she said ban on plastic bags could not achieve success without public education and awareness of the menace of plastic bags causing health hazard.

"The chief ministers of the four provinces have vowed to impose ban on plastic bags in their provinces where the statutory regulatory order (SRO) imposed by the ministry is easily replicable in the provinces. Now, its up to them how they will take up this matter," Zartaj noted.

She noted that the public was fully motivated in the federal capital to quit using plastic bags whereas due to transboundary inflow of plastic bags from adjoining provinces was hampering the way to ensure complete compliance of the ban.

She mentioned that other than jute or cotton bags, starch bags made up of vegetables and fruits peelings were environment friendly and could easily dissolve into air and water with least impact on the ecology.

/778