Our Correspondent Mirpur
AJK President Sardar Masood Khan on Tuesday urged people to cooperate with Forest Depart to supplement its efforts for conservation of the forest to maintain natural ecosystems.
‘The Department of Forests is doing a good job on its part to conserve the forest but their efforts will not produce desired results unless each of us contributes to the conservation of the existing forests and the growth of new forests,’ he underlined.
The President made these remarks after a briefing given to him by Secretary Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries, Syed Zahoor-ul Hassan Gillani at Aiwan-e- Sadr in the State metropolis on Tuesday. Mr. Khan highlighted that forests are not only important to maintain the climate and natural environment they are also a major source of abundant water resources we have.
‘The survival and sustainability of our water reservoirs are directly linked to the forests of the region,’ he added.
‘Instead of relying on forest wood for cooking and heating, we need to focus on alternative sources of fuel, and for this purpose the forest department, government agencies, and social organizations can guide and help the people,’ he said.
Earlier in his briefing, Secretary Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Syed Zahoorul Hassan Gilani apprised the President of the Forest Department’s initiatives on forest protection, afforestation and tree plantation under the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami (TBTTP) program.
The Secretary Forests said that the target of the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Program has been largely achieved and the performance of Azad Kashmir is much higher than all other parts of Pakistan.
