When words are louder than actions

By Rehmat Ali Jaffardost Month of February remind us two events which always highlighted in the print and electronic media. These are Valentine Day and National Plantation Campaign. Both at national and provincial level, there are vociferous claim on the part of government and non-governmental organizations that they have planted millions of plants as national plantation campaign starts. Political leaders at PM House and CM House start plantation campaign through planting of sibling while at district level the ceremonial practice is undertaken by either deputy commissioner or other government functionary just to Show the people that government is serious in plantation and at the same moment the respective government functionary claim that this year millions of plants will be planted in the area. This practice is going on for the last many decades and if there is only 1% reality in the claim then there would be not a single space in Pakistan without any plant. But reality is different and all these ceremonial practices are carried out for the purpose of eye wash and to be fooling the public at the expense of their own tax income. Millions of rupees are siphoned off from the hard earned tax income of the poor people under the cover of plantation and if some plants are introduced in the area their impact is counterproductive and number of plant diseases transfer to local and indigenous plants due to plantation. Especially in Chitral people are experiencing serious problems in protecting their kitchen garden and especially trees of wall-nuts, apples, mulberry and peaches from the infection which has probably been transferred from those plants which are brought in the district from down country without conducting research on compatibility the plants with local climate of Chitral. Resultantly infection transfer from these plants to local level and indigenous plants of Chitral getting infection and it become extremely difficult for the people to protect their plants from such type of diseases. As environmental activist I personally experienced the incident in my home town Booni where number of wall-nut, mulberry and apples are going dry every year and productivity of fruit is also infected by pests and attack of insects every year. Attack of pests and insects on plants were not experienced in the past but it surfaced when plants from down district introduced in Chitral. And various types of plants diseases and pests transferred to Chitral through these plants which were brought in the district for the purpose of plantation through government and NGOs and the process is going on even this time. It is unfortunate that agriculture research field is non-functional in Chitral to conduct research into the problem and NGOs are also neglecting the issue without any reason. In order to cater this gravies problem there should be comprehensive research on the issue that why attack of pests and insects has increased on plants and fruits in Chitral within a few years. The same problem also exists in case of Islamabad where numerous plants have been planted without any research work and as a result the city is now in serious grip of pollen allergy which direct result from the plants. The same problem is faced in Chitral this time and people face persistent attack of pests and insects on local plants which has been transferred from those plants which has been brought here from down country. In order to cater the problem for good there should be a system of local nursery in Chitral and the system of introducing plants from down country should be discouraged. If the culture of local nursery is promoted in Chitral for plantation it will control environmental disaster in Chitral in the form of pests and insects attacks on local plants. Government and NGOs which are active in the field of plantation in Chitral should take care of the issue and encourage promotion of local nursery having compatibility with local soil and conduct research on persistent attack of pests and insects on local plants, like wall nuts, mulberry and apple which are regarded as cash fruit of Chitral and their productivity terribly decreased due to pests attack. Introducing plants from down country in the area is tantamount to inviting environmental disaster in Chitral.]]>