The residents on Monday expressed their resentment over felling of massive trees along Expressway near I-8 Interchange to Faizabad at various sites including Pakistan Flag Monument Park and Kachnar Park.
Talking to APP, Huma Bokhari said the federal capital was famous for its overwhelming green belts and foliage that was reducing at a faster pace due to development initiatives implemented in the metropolis.
Bokhari said the trees thriving along expressway were mighty and tall that used to show their ages and thick canopy cover whereas now the thoroughfare started looking bald due to countable number of trees left.
She said the air quality by global air quality monitoring portals was shown ideal near Kachnar Park and I-8 Interchange due to large number of trees and massive oxygen generated by those plants.
Bokhari said the Capital Development Authority had also introduced tree transplantation to reduce damage of such precious ecological asset but its absence from the place of origin was marring the scenic ambience of the federal capital.
She urged the civic body and quarters concerned to also ensure plantation along the above mentioned sites to maintain a sizable green cover that would be helpful in preserving ambience and biodiversity.
Climate Activist, Bilal Murtaza was of the view that massive tree cutting and consequent transplantation was encouraging to see that the civic body was playing a responsible but leaving that site denuded from trees was detrimental for the environment.
“While entering Islamabad from Faizabad, it has been a pleasant experience to see thick tree cover and no one can see through the thick wall of trees but now the entire sector is visible which is regrettable,” he said.
When contacted CDA DG Environment Irfan Niazi to sought details of trees cut and number of saplings to be planted in lieu off those trees, he remained unavailable despite repeated calls.
