The Chief Secretary Punjab on Friday planted a sapling in the lawn of Civil Secretariat in connection with the spring tree plantation campaign. The authorities have set a target of planting 30 million saplings during the ongoing drive.
The Chief Secretary directed the departments to make the plantation campaign a success. He said that the main objective of the drive is to encourage people to plant more trees. He appealed to the citizens to actively participate in the campaign. The Chief Secretary also issued orders to start a campaign to raise awareness among the public about the environmental and economic benefits of the trees.
The officials of the Forest Department briefed the Chief Secretary that the Spring Plantation Drive was inaugurated by caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi on February 16 and about eight million saplings have been planted so far. They said that eight million saplings would be planted by the government departments, and seven million by the defense department while 15 million saplings would be planted on private lands. They said that during the monsoon plantation drive, as many as 33 million saplings were planted across the province. They mentioned that the plantation week would be celebrated in the districts from March 3 to 10. The Additional Chief Secretary, Secretary Forest and other officers were also present on the occasion.