By: Gul Hamad Farooqi.
CHITRAL: Plantation drive for the year 2024 kicked at police line launched in Chitral. In this connection, a simple function was also held in Police Line Chitral. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Abdul Majid, Sub Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO) Yusuf Farhad, Assistant Commissioner Chitral Dr. Atif Jalib, Director Agriculture, District Officer of Sail and Water Conservation, Mujeeb -ur -Rehman, Commandant Chitral Scouts, Major Admin, DPOs and officers of other departments participated in plantation campaign.
DFO Chitral Abdul Majeed highlighted the importance of plants and trees. He said that the forest department has been distributing free sapling to Chitral police which they will be planted in different police stations. He said that because of these plants and trees not only it increases the beauty of Chitral but it also gives us oxygen in terms of tons, colourful birds sit on its branches in the spring season, which of causing the human being. Nature is a lot of goodness and in the autumn season, the leaves of the trees turn into different charming -colors, which further enhances their beauty. He said that these plants also have colorful flowers, which makes us happy and eradicate all the boredom and fatigue of the human being and they became fresh and happy. These trees are giving us fruit along with fuel as we also burn its branches for cooking and heating purposes.
In response to a question, he said that since Chitral is a cold area, where in some areas sever cold weather unbearable and the people here cut fire wood for burning to protect themselves from the cold as well as using it for cooking, which causes a lot of burden on the forests and if this situation remained continue in the next thirty years, there would be no tree or plants in this region, except forest protected trees. He suggested that if the people of Chitral were provided cheap electricity or LPG gas on subsidize rate, they would use gas or electric heaters for cooking and heating purposes instead of burning wood as a result it would reduce the burden on the forests.
Sub Divisional Forest Officer Yusuf Farhad said that these trees also work as a natural check dam because Chitral is dry zone. When it is raining, flood water flow very fast and the nullahs from the mountains occur in the form of destructive floods. It also causing often human life and financial loss, but in the mountains or fields where plants and trees are on large scale, it slows down the flood water and reduce its speed if the flood water flows at a low speed, it is not so damaged. As high comparative to high speed flood water. He added that because of these trees and plants, we can also save from the negative impact of climate change. Because now we see that there is no rain or snow for a long time, but without season, it is raining and snow. If we do more and more plantation and planting trees, it will be cause of positive impact on our environment and reduce the negative effects of climate change.
During the ceremony, the participated in plantation campaign by planting saplings. Later on, free plants were also distributed among the people. The ceremony ended with praying words.
