The Punjab Forest Department planted 102 million saplings across the province during its plantation drive from January to December 2022.
According to annual performance report issued here on Friday, the largest plantation was done in Bahawalpur with 2 million while the total number of trees planted under the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Program reached 310 million.
It further said 2614 awareness programs were organized across Punjab this year, while the number of other awareness activities related to encouraging plantation was 3159.
The Forest Department distributed 35 million saplings to the people free of cost against the target of 34 million in 2022 besides 23 new government nurseries were added during the year with the total number of nurseries across Punjab raised up to 460.
According to the spokesperson of the Forest Department, 58 million plants of various types were produced in nurseries this year, while more than 556 acres of occupied land of the Forest Department was recovered.
Similarly, 228 FIRs were registered in the Forest department against the incidents of tree cutting and thousands of logs were recovered.
In further details the Forest Department started three development schemes at the cost of 803 million, which included the expansion and renovation of Bhakkar Forest Park, Forest Academy and Forest Complex.
It said the animal breeding resulted in the increase of 381 animals and birds in the safari zoo and 287 in the Lahore Zoo.
Minister Forest Syed Abbas Ali Shah and Secretary Forest Shahid Zaman have expressed their satisfaction on the performance report and said that during the year 2022 special measures were taken to improve the overall performance and creating awareness about plantation and animal protection. The Minister Forest and Secretary Forest expressed their determination to continue the same vision in 2023.
Syed Abbas Ali Shah and Shahid Zaman said said special attention should be paid to the completion of plantation goals, increasing animal breeding and remodeling of zoo’s and safari parks for the survival and protection of wildlife.
