In order to increase the area covered by forests, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has decided to launch Billion Tree Plus project in the province. In this connection, KP Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur, while presiding over a meeting in Peshawar on Friday, directed the concerned officials to complete homework on the project. Provincial Minister for Forests Fazal Hakim and senior officials of the forest department attended the meeting. The CM, on the occasion, was briefed about administrative affairs of the department, its performance, the targets it had set, and other matters.  The chief minister also directed the concerned officials to chalk out a strategy to stop the cutting of trees and increase the revenue of the department. He asked them to increase fines so that deforestation could be discouraged.

“Raise the amount of fines to such a level that it exceeds the price of the wood obtained from the cutting of trees,” he said. CM Gandapur gave instructions that in order to control the smuggling of timber, CCTV cameras be installed at all checkposts. “After all, forests are the province’s assets which we have to pass on to our future generations. The conservation of forests is the government of KP’s top priority,” he commented.  Increasing the forest area would also help the government undo the negative effects of climate change, he hoped. He also directed the Wildlife Department officials to put forward recommendations and prepare an action plan for the promotion of fisheries in KP. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)