Sindh Minister for Local Government & Forest, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Wednesday inaugurated tree plantation campaign 2021 by planting sampling at Bagh-e-Jinnah.
Sindh Chief Minister Coordinator Shahzad Memon, Administrator KMC Laeeq Ahmed, Municipal Commissioner KMC Syed Muhammad Afzal Zaidi, JDC Chief Zafar Abbas and other civil society organization members also planted trees. The tree plantation campaign is being launched under Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. Addressing the ceremony, Nasir Shah said over one lac environment friendly and indigenous plants will be planted during the campaign, adding that park department of KMC has developed some 70 thousand indigenous sampling in their own nurseries, while MoUs has also been signed with civil society organization to seek their cooperation in making Karachi green city.
Nasir Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Forest Department, added that on the directives of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari forest department has launched various project in the province including Green Sindh, Urban Forest and Mangroves Project.
He added Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari inaugurated Miyawaki Forest in Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park in March 2019 and trees now started to bear fruits.
He said that Miyawaki Forests were also started in Federal B. Area and Shah Faisal Colony in partnership among the forest department, KMC, KDA, and other land- owning agenesis. Its area in being increased and KDA has identified around 400 spots which were vacated where commercial activates were started including parks, plays ground and amenity plots. We are starting Miyawaki Forest in Malir River also. He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan has also inaugurated Miyawaki Forest in Lahore few days ago, which was positive step, but Sindh Government has started Miyawaki Forest in March 2019.
He thanked the Civil Society Organizations, and individual for support in making Karachi Green and appealed everyone to play its role in making city environment friendly. “Government was making efforts but it could not succeed, until citizen of Karachi not participate in the campaign. Earlier, Administrator KMC Laeeq Ahmed briefed about the details of tree plantation campaign 2021.
Nasir said that substantial change has been witnessed in local bodies’ performance and revenue collection after appointment of administrators. No new tax has been imposed nor any increase has been made in any tax but DMC’s have increased their revenue and made huge savings. He said that tax system has been improved and expenditures reduced. Giving the example of DMC central, the provincial minister added that 594 retired employees had been given their dues pending since 2016 from savings while Rs. 20 crores were still in account of DMC.
He said that KMC was only corporation in Sindh which was being given grant of Rs.50 crores every month. He said that KMC owns valuable assets including petrol pumps and shops which needed to be managed properly but in past these properties were leased on lowest prices and those who got these properties further out sourced at handsome amounts.
