As part of the tree plantation drive, the Forest department has planted as many as 3000 Diar saplings in internationally known Chitral National Park during the monsoon season. Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife, Chitral Gol National Park Mohammad Altaf Ali Shah said that the core zone of this park covers an area of 7,750 hectares, while the buffer zone, which was added later, covers an area of 50,000 hectares.
According to him, this park was the habitat of Markhor, Himalayan Lynx, snow leopard, wolf, jackal and some other species of wildlife. He estimated 2278 Markhors in the area, adding that there were some places in this park which were posing threat to the wildlife due to deforestation. The wildlife considers itself safe and they also get food from these trees, especially in winter when there is heavy snowfall.
Conservator Shaukat Fayaz of Malakand Forest Department was also present to supervise the plantation drive. According to him, the guards of the forest department and the volunteers of Al-Khidmat Foundation participated in this campaign. He said that due to cutting of trees especially chestnuts by the locals in winter the forest area in Chitral was decreasing. He suggested provision of cheap electricity or gas to the locals to help reduce axing the forests. He said the plantation of 3,000 Diyar saplings would make the Chitral National Park more beautiful and the forest dense.
Divisional Forest Officer Asif Ali Shah, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Chitral Division Yusuf Farhad, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Darosh Umeer Nawaz, Divisional Forest Officer Wildlife Chitral Goal National Park Mohammad Altaf Ali Shah, Block Officer Aziz Wali and other officials also participated in the plantation campaign.
