PFD completes afforestation on 250 acres in Murree

LAHORE: The Punjab Forest Department (PFD) has completed forestation of marginal lands stretched on an area of 250 acres in Murree at a cost of Rs51.300 million.

The project was started in 2015 with a gestation period of 36 months with the aim of rehabilitating blank patches through transplantation of Kail and Deodar trees with their associated broadleaf plants in Murree.

According to details shared by an official of the forest department, the main objectives of the project were the true reflection of the national conservation strategy prepared by the Environment Ministry and it also aimed at improving forest management, diversifying livelihood options of people living in upland areas, production of quality wood, arresting and reversing the process of environmental degradation and protection of natural uplands ecosystem.

The official said that the total approved cost of the project was Rs51.300 million which were released on time and utilised properly. However, the survival rate of plants (Chir, Kail and Deodar) was also estimated at three sampling points in some compartments of afforestation, the official added.

He informed that the average survival rate varies from 60 per cent to 93 per cent for planted species in marginal lands in Murree and the average plant height varies from 2.5 to 5.5 feet for plants in different sampling locations in selected compartments.

The Directorate General Monitoring and Evaluation (DGM&E) has given its observations over the project. According to a DGM&E report, the proposal had explicitly stated that there will be plantation on 25 acres of compartment number 40/PF but there was none in the compartment. “Restocking was not done in pits to main survival rate and for complete afforestation in the compartments. Protection against porcupine (animal) was not done in all the compartments of the project. Afforestation (plantation) was on a very small scale and irrelevant in compartment number 25,” the report stated, adding that “restocking should be done in empty pits for higher survival rate and plantation should be done in blank patches of compartment number 21, 23 and 25”.

When contacted, Murree District Forest Officer Amir Suhail said, “We undertook the project keeping in view local and national requirements. The project was moderately effective in achieving its objectives and targets. We are also working on the recommendations of DGM&E.”