Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the development of two large forest blocks near Karachi and Hyderabad, each spanning 10,000 acres, as part of efforts to reduce environmental pollution and expand green cover in the province.
Chairing a meeting of the Forest Department, the chief minister noted that significant areas of forest land near both cities remain undeveloped despite rising levels of environmental degradation and urban pollution. He instructed authorities to utilize these lands for large-scale afforestation.
Under the plan, two separate forest zones will be developed, with each covering 10,000 acres. The chief minister also directed that the plantations be supported through modern irrigation methods, including drip irrigation systems.
During the briefing, Forest Department Secretary Asif Hyder Shah informed the meeting that Sindh has a total forest area of around 3.3 million acres, representing approximately 10 percent of the province’s land area. This includes mangrove forests, riverine forests, irrigation plantations, range lands, and coastal vegetation.
He also presented data on forest distribution, including large tracts of mangroves and riverine forests, as well as ongoing plantation efforts across the province. He highlighted past achievements such as large-scale mangrove plantation drives and record-setting tree plantation campaigns.
The chief minister directed the launch of a new target to plant one million mangroves, with a plantation drive scheduled to begin on March 23.
He was also informed that hundreds of thousands of trees have been planted in recent years across different categories, including mangroves, riverine forests, and irrigation plantations. Additional nursery development and linear plantation efforts were also reported.
Murad Ali Shah further instructed the Forest Department to take action against lease violations and remove encroachments from forest lands, emphasizing the need to protect existing green cover and ensure proper land use management.
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