Tree plantation: our stress is on planting Russian olive, says activist

CHITRAL, March 24: The Chitral Heritage and Environment Protection Society (CHEPS) has started a plantation campaign in Chitral. In this regard, Mr. Rahmat Ali Jaffer Dost, the chairman CHEPS, visited more than 50 schools and colleges and launched the campaigns there. “Two out of these programmes were funded by Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP),” he told ChitralToday. He launched the campaign on March 14 by planting a Russian olive and other plants at Government Higher Secondary School Drosh. “I prefer to plant Russian olive in the far and wide areas of Chitral for two-fold purposes: first, to revive the tree as this plant is on the verge of extinction in Chitral and secondly it has relatively quicker growth than other trees, and has the potential to cover the environmental vacuum created by unchecked deforestation and tree logging.” On March 21, a campaign was launched at Government Degree College for Women Booni, while on March 23 one more programme was held at Government College for Boys Booni where the subsidiary cleanliness clubs of CHEPS – Green Clubs – also launched an environmental peace walk. Mr. Minhasuddin, AAC Mastuj, was chief guest on the occasion. All such campaigns are carried out under the patronage of local administration. “I am highly thankful to the officers of local administration for their patronage and moral support. Their participation in these programmes sends a message to the youth and they get motivated to own such environmental campaigns.” It is to be noted that CHEPS has been launching plantation and cleanliness campaigns for more than seven years to achieve its goal “Clean and green Chitral/Pakistan.” Rahmat’s appeal to the youth is that clean and green Pakistan is only possible when the youth selflessly contribute a little of their time and knowledge for the environmental good.]]>