The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) approved Green Pakistan Programme–Reclamation and Development of Forest Areas in Punjab (Phase-I) at the cost of Rs 1284.753 million.
The schemes were approved in the 17th meeting of Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) of current fiscal year 2016-17 over by the Punjab Chairman P&D Board Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan.
Secretary P&DD Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, Members of the Planning & Development Board, Provincial Secretaries concerned and other senior representatives of the relevant Provincial Departments also attended the meeting.
According to Spokesman for P&DD, the approved development schemes included Capacity Building of P&D Department for Improved Policy Planning and Monitoring of Development Process in Punjab (Revised) (Phase-II) at the cost of Rs 439.473 million, Improvement of Water Supply System in Murree in PPP Mode Rehabilitation Operate and Transfer (ROT) (PC-II) at the cost of Rs. 9.225 million and Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has approved the launch of “Green Pakistan Programme” to improve forestry and wildlife sectors in Pakistan. Protection and management of wildlife and reclaiming and developing forest areas are the main aspects of the programme.
Preservation and management of forest and wildlife resources of the country need to be adequately developed in line with the best international practices. All relevant Federal and Provincial Ministries and agencies will be facilitated to fulfil the task so that the desired objectives of forests preservation and wildlife protection is achieved, directed the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister will lead the Green Pakistan Programme on the pattern of “Great Green Wall Programme” of China which will target to add 100 Million new plants over next five years all over the country.
This includes one thousand Avenue Miles of Canal Side & Roadside Plantations in Punjab, KPK and Sindh, plantations at Changa Manga, Darphar, Bahawalpur and Chichawatni. Mangroves forests in Karachi and Badin along with hill forests of Khirthar Range in Sindh, Juniper forests of Ziarat and Chilghoza forest in Suleiman Ranges of Balochistan and areas in GB, AJK, Murree, Hazara, Kotli Sattian, Malakand, FATA (Orakzai, North Waziristan etc) are some of the locations for the plantations.
The Federal Government will have an effective and steering role in all initiatives under the umbrella of Revival of Forestry & Wildlife Resources in Pakistan. Fifty per cent of the funding requirement will be contributed by the Federal Government while the remaining 50 per cent is to be spent by the provincial government/ region concerned.
