MULTAN:Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) South Punjab Capt (Retd.) Saqib Zaffar has sought a comprehensive mega plan from the officers concerned for increasing forest area in south Punjab under the vision to deal with climate change, food shortage and other challenges.
Presiding over a meeting to review the performance of Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries departments on Wednesday, he said that the world was facing challenges of climate change and food shortage which can be tackled by increasing forest area. He said that it was the need of the hour to have forest in 25 percent area of the country to have a healthy environment and stable economy but Pakistan has only four percent area forested. He directed officers concerned to prepare a comprehensive mega plan for increasing forest area in south Punjab.
The ACS said that a favorable natural environment be ensured in wildlife breeding centers and steps be taken for maintaining the ecosystem and biodiversity in lakes whereas, protection of endangered species of birds and animals would also be ensured. He said that foreign exchange could be earned by exporting fish and shrimp and stressed officers for launching an awareness campaign to increase fish and shrimp farming in south Punjab.
Giving briefing on the occasion, Secretary Forest, Wildlife & Fishries Sarfraz Khan Magsi informed the meeting that during the current financial year, Rs 589 million had been released for 22 development projects, out of which 70 percent of funds have been spent on the projects. He said that a target of planting 8.3 million saplings was fixed for the year 2023 while 73 percent of the target has already been achieved so far. He further informed that the Forestry Department of South Punjab has planted 9.8 million saplings on banks of canals covering an area of 12,000 acres. He maintained that 1.42 million saplings on 15,000 acres of land and a unique initiative of mango plantation had been initiated by the department.
It was also disclosed in the meeting that there were 5 zoos on 135 acres of land and three wildlife parks on 42 acres in South Punjab while two Wildlife Breeding Centers on 1694 acres of land in south Punjab.
The ACS was informed that 2.6 million fish had been provided to farmers from fish hatcheries while “Patisar Lake” was being restored on a priority basis. The digital mapping of forests had been completed through which 292 acres of land in Rakh Khanpur has been retrieved from the land mafia.
Secretary Sarfraz Khan Magsi briefed that a wildlife sanctuary had been established in Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan on an area of 4675 acres of land.