RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Climate Change is close to finalise a PC-I of the government’s flagship ‘Billion Tree Tsunami’ project in assistance of provincial governments and will spend around $1 billion on the scheme.

Additional Secretary of the ministry Babar Hayat revealed this in an informal chat with a group of journalists here on Friday.

He told that all provincial governments are on board regarding the project and would contribute half of the cost as this would be a countrywide project. The secretary told that his ministry has also taken around 400 clerics on board who will share importance of Clean and Green Pakistan with the general public with help of teachings of Islam.

He said the ministry has decided to take help of the clerics as they are considered influential having large following in their respective areas.

The secretary said plantation will be done in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the government intends to initiate some development projects in the area. The federal government is organising a ‘Plant for Pakistan’ programme on April 3 in Islamabad, adding that saplings will be planted across the federal capital on the day.

The secretary told that the government is planning to plant around 10,000 saplings on the six acres of land of Zoological Survey of Pakistan out of its total area of 725 acres.

He told that saplings collection points will be set up across the country, and indigenous varieties of the trees would be preferred to be planted in different areas to ensure biological diversity. The secretary said that his ministry along with district administration is planning to plant at least 100,000 plants in the federal capital on April 3, while another 100,000 saplings will be planted elsewhere.