Staff Reporter
Peshawar
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department (KPFD) has planned to create 25,000 job opportunities for youth in green sector to achieve plantation target of 190.5 million saplings under 10 Billion Trees Afforest Ration Project (10BTAP) during current fiscal year to combat climate change challenges. Official sources in KP forest department told on Sunday that about 190.5 million saplings would be sown in different forest divisions including southern circle, watershed, Hazara, Malakand and merged tribal districts under 10BTAP to offset growing effects of climate change.
To protect the green gold and achieve the set target, the official said 25,000 new jobs would be created for youth during 2020-21. He said, “Green Stimulus” package had been approved by the prime minister to create job opportunities for thousands of labourers and daily wagers affected by COVID-19 lockdown.
In the first phase of the package, a ‘Green Nigehabaan (caretakers)’ initiative would be launched to provide employment to about 65,000 youth in the country in 10BTAP. Being a flagship programme of PTI government in green sector, BTAP has been proved an oasis for thousands of jobless labourers and daily wagers to earn better livelihoods for their families during COVID-19 lockdown.
Approximately 66,291 jobless workers were provided green jobs in 10BTAP across the country after they lost employment due to closure of industrial units, public transport, hotels, SMEs, tourism, mines, mineral, construction and other sectors during the lockdown. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, around 22,000 green jobs were provided to jobless labourers and daily wagers, 17,391 in Punjab, 3,500 in Balochistan, 11,900 in Sindh, 3,000 in Gilgit Baltistan and 8500 in Azad Kashmir during the lockdown. These labourers were given jobs in tube and bare-rooted nurseries, forests enclosures, watering of new plantations, mobalization of public for afforestation, spring plantation.
