LAHORE - The Shajar Dost Welfare Foundation (SDF) has planned its first planned forest at Niazi Interchange. The Karol Forest is meant to be a bio diversity forest, intended to accommodate various forest living organisms thus aiding the ecological processes.
SDF General Secretary (GS) Malik Sajid Awan told Pakistan Today that SDF was founded a year and a half ago and had been registered with the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) for a year. The SDF, he said, promoted environment preservation through tree plantation.
He said the forest project at Niazi Interchange had already been started and mango, blackberry, mulberry, kachnar, peepal, neem, and amaltas tree saplings had been planted. SDF also did a project in Murree, where the North Waziristan district forestation officer (DFO) planted trees at Musyari, Murree. About 586 tree saplings were planted at the site, while 1,000 plants were distributed among the local people.
The GS said Pakistan was undergoing severe deforestation and the SDF would celebrate the World Tree Plantation Day on August 18 to create awareness regarding the problem. “Forests may be the richest of all terrestrial ecosystems, while providing important sources of food, medicine, energy and building materials. They sustain livelihoods of and provide jobs to millions of people worldwide. Forests and tree foliage also contribute to soil enrichment. Still serious steps are not being taken to save forests in Pakistan,”said the GS.
The recent issue of the Kalma Chowk Interchange construction resulted in a serious clash as civil society groups filed a case against the Punjab government for “illegal felling” of trees, replaced with an “unnecessary” urban structure.
The SDF was part of the Lahore Bachao Tehreek, in both the Canal Widening Project and the Kalma Chowk Interchange construction issue.
SDF’s objective is to work towards a greener Pakistan, create awareness among citizens about the importance of trees, foster respect for trees, mobilise support for laws that protect trees, develop and protect human resources related to trees, educate decision-makers, developers, architects and professionals engaged in relevant fields like landscaping and nurseries, collect and compile data about trees and encourage relevant government departments to help the cause. The SDF is also offering a membership for Rs 50 only, where each member becomes active in promoting the cause.