Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has introduced urgent measures to address smog and air pollution through a large-scale afforestation project under the Chief Minister’s Plant for Pakistan Initiative. The initiative aims to plant 42.5 million trees across 48,368 acres to improve environmental conditions in the province.
According to Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, 7.361 million trees will be planted on 8,496 acres during the 2024-25 fiscal year, with Rs. 1,800 million allocated for the project. So far, Rs. 1,085 million has been utilized, covering 60% of the estimated cost.
Read more: Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif Launches Crime Control Department to Combat Organised Crime
As part of the Spring Plantation Drive, 5.966 million trees will be planted on 6,637 acres in key districts such as Lahore, Kasur, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Murree, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, and Muzaffargarh. Over 300 locations have been identified for afforestation efforts.
The project will include the planting of Moringa, Chir, Neem, Kikar, Sheesham, Sars, Bakain, Semal, Arjun, and various fruit-bearing trees. The overall cost of the initiative is estimated at Rs. 8,000 million.
Under this initiative, forests, riverbanks, canals, roadsides, Potohar Plateau, Murree, and sandy regions will be turned into green zones. So far, 2.73 million trees have been planted across 4,000 acres, marking significant progress in the afforestation drive.
