Sindh Minister for forest Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has directed that amenity plantations, urban forest initiative & Bahman Biodiversity Park Larkana be given top priority to gear up the efforts to combat climate change related threats in the province. He added that Rs. 500 million scheme for bringing under tree cover more than 200000 acre forest lands vacated from encroachments in riverine area of Indus should be prepared for next annual development programme and demand for resources should be placed well in time to achieve the goals.
The forest minister directed this while chairing a review meeting of forest department ADP schemes on Monday. The meeting was attended by secretary forests & wildlife department Dr. Badar Jameel Mendhro, additional secretary forests & wildlife Aijaz Nizamani , chief Conservator Javed Mehar & others.
Syed Nasir Hussain Shah added that under the vision of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, mangroves, urban forest and farm forestry should be promoted in the province adding that forest schemes should be prepared at regional level.
He directed to establish an effective surveillance system to protect forest department land from re-occupation in riverine and pucca areas . “Patrolling and pickets should be ensured to protect the forest land, “the minister said.
The provincial minister said that the existing urban forest in Lyari river and other cities should be expanded and regular schemes of urban forest should be included in the next annual development program.
The minister directed to achieve the planned targets qualitatively & quantitatively and added that efforts should be streamlined to achieve the successful case studies on the similar patterns of Mangroves of Indus delta which was being recognized globally.
The minister appreciated the Olive initiative taken up by Social Forestry Karachi by planting Olive trees successfully at Thado Dam Malir.
