LAHORE: The Punjab government will plant 42 million trees on 50,869 acres of land under the CM Plant for Pakistan Initiative, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced.
She said the large-scale plantation is part of the Punjab Green Programme, which also includes major environmental and eco-tourism projects.
Under the Agroforestry Initiative, 1.375 million trees are being planted on 3,790 acres of forest wasteland. The Green Pakistan Programme has also been expanded to plant 466.4 million trees over 251,000 acres across the province.
A separate project to plant 5 million trees in rows along 10,223 miles of canal roads in Punjab has also been launched.
The CM said that efforts are being made to develop eco-tourism facilities at Lal Suhanra National Park and the Salt Range, including installation of wireless networks, GPS devices, CCTV cameras, and digital equipment.
She said work has begun on building an eco-friendly, LEED-certified, multi-storey structure to preserve natural areas and provide better facilities to forest staff.
Maryam Nawaz also announced the launch of the Shielding Summits Programme for disaster management in the hilly areas of Murree and Kahuta.
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The government is hiring 600 fire watchers, providing fire vehicles, building watchtowers, and using modern GIS systems to monitor the forests. She said fire and encroachment can now be quickly detected using drones, satellites, and LIDAR technology.
A digital tree count and GIS-based survey have also started in the province. She said modern forestry machines have been bought, and 104 Forest Command & Control Centers have been set up for 24-hour monitoring, improving protection efforts across Punjab.
Separately, the CM announced that 11,000 poor widows living in rural areas will receive buffaloes and cows to support their families. In the first phase, 4,870 animals will be distributed in 12 districts of South Punjab, with a total budget of Rs2 billion.
She said the Livestock Assets Programme aims to boost milk production and create job opportunities for rural women within their homes.
