Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has said the city’s urban forest project will play an important role in reducing air pollution, with plantation work already underway along Shahrah-e-Bhutto.
Speaking to the media in Karachi, Wahab said 10,000 trees had already been planted on Shahrah-e-Bhutto, while the broader target was to plant 100,000 saplings under the project. He described the initiative as a major step towards turning Karachi into a more environment-friendly and greener city.
The mayor said the urban forest scheme would serve as an important milestone in efforts to improve Karachi’s air quality. He added that the plantation drive had been accelerated as part of a broader environmental improvement campaign.
According to Wahab, neem, gulmohar and other trees will be planted along Shahrah-e-Bhutto, with the plantation work to be completed in phases. He said the large-scale tree plantation campaign had been launched to improve oxygen levels in the city and support practical efforts to turn Karachi into a green city.
He said the city government had earlier decided to create green zones around Shahrah-e-Bhutto, and work on the site was started around two months ago by the Parks Department of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. He added that native plants would be prioritized under the plan.
Wahab also said similar green zones would be developed across all seven districts of Karachi. Referring to previous plantation efforts, he said neem trees had already been planted in Korangi and urged citizens to support the drive by planting saplings as an act of ongoing charity.
Speaking about development work in the city, the mayor said projects were also underway on Shahrah-e-Bhutto, Baloch Colony Expressway, Korangi Causeway, and Taj Haider Bridge.
What a joke. They are cutting trees from everywhere in the city and pretending to be planting,,,
100 k plants on 39 km stretch!!. That’s nothing but peanuts. The number should be at least 10 times than that. Further once planted who’s is going to take care of them and ensure that they grow until their maturity. KMC has not been able to maintain the green belts in the city, rather trees have been uprooted brutally on Sharah e Faisal. Majority of city roads are barren and are ownerless with regards to greenery in particular and also generally with respect to overall maintenance.
Asif