Islamabad : Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Muhammad Ali Randhawa while chairing a meeting attended by board members and experts, directed that all steps should be taken in coordination with all stakeholders to enhance Islamabad’s environmental beauty and sustainability.
He said that CDA has initiated not only removal of paper mulberry trees with replacing them environment friendly spring trees with a special focus on expanding the city’s green cover and combating environmental challenges.
The meeting highlighted the successful phase-wise removal of paper mulberry trees, a major contributor to pollen-related health issues. This initiative has already led to a significant reduction in pollen count as compared to last year till today improving air quality and public health.
The CDA’s efforts to replace these trees with climate-compatible species are expected to further strengthen the city’s ecosystem, thus improving the quality of life on the citizen of Islamabad, the participation of the meeting observed. Muhammad Ali Randhawa said that environment-friendly plants, including Loquat, Guava, Fig, Apricot, Peepal, Native Mulberry, Arjun, Amaltas, Kachnar, Chikrandha, Maple Leaf, Olive, Sukh Chain, Amla, and other types of plants, should be planted. Students, teachers, business community and other segments of the society should be involved in this noble cause.
Appreciating the excellent performance of Environment Wing, the CDA Chairman said that building on last year’s success of planting 600,000 trees, the CDA has set an ambitious target of planting one million trees during the Spring and Monsoon seasons of 2025 which will be achieved involved government, private, students and other segments of society. Additionally, 500,000 seed balls are being sown to promote natural regeneration, ensuring long-term environmental benefits.
To encourage public participation, the CDA has set up multiple stalls across Islamabad for the free distribution of plants where citizens are coming and taking keen in planting seeds of different trees. These stalls are located at prominent locations, including Fatima Jinnah Park, Lake View Park, Centaurus Mall, Trail-5, and various sectors such as I-8, I-9, I-10, G-6, G-7, G-10, F-7, E-7, and F-6. Muhammad Ali Randhawa also directed the landscaping of median strips, green belts along highways, entry points, and major arteries of the city.