KP Intends Billion Tree Plus Initiative To Expand Forests

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration in Peshawar has opted to enhance forest coverage across the province by initiating the ‘Billion Tree Plus’ endeavor. This resolution emerged during a session led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, attended by Forest Minister Fazal Hakim, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, Forest Secretary Nazar Hussain Shah, and relevant officials.

In the meeting, officials briefed attendees on forest department operations, including performance metrics, objectives, administrative affairs, and related issues, as outlined in an official statement released by the Chief Minister’s Office.

Read more: Punjab Government Initiates Project For Preserving Forests

Chief Minister Gandapur instructed officials to finalize preparations for the new reforestation initiative and emphasized the need for a robust strategy to boost revenue generation by the department while curbing deforestation in the region. He advocated for a substantial increase in penalties for illegal deforestation and timber logging, surpassing the value of the harvested timber.

Additionally, Gandapur mandated the installation of CCTV surveillance at all forest checkpoints to monitor timber smuggling and other illicit activities closely. He further urged officials to devise feasible proposals and an implementation strategy for fostering fisheries in the province.

Initially launched in 2015 under the leadership of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the Billion Tree Tsunami project aimed to combat land degradation and restore depleted forests in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Although the PTI-led provincial government claimed to have planted one billion trees, the project faced scrutiny due to alleged irregularities, including inflated procurement costs and discrepancies in reported tree counts.

Meanwhile, Gandapur chaired a meeting regarding the Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway, where officials briefed him on project progress, total expenses, and proposed routes. Gandapur urged officials to explore the ‘build, operate, and transfer’ model for the motorway’s construction and ensure necessary steps are taken to advance the project. The motorway, spanning 365 kilometers with two tunnels and 19 interchanges, aims to benefit a substantial populace and has garnered attention in discussions within the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project’s Joint Working Group.