Massive development plan launched for FATA

Peshawar: A comprehensive development plan costing Rs. 2251.717 million has been launched to bring maximum area under forests and further improve the vegetative cover in FATA.

Out of this, Rs.1074.702 million has been utilized while Rs.427.249 million is being spent during the current financial year.

The strategy devised for forest sector development includes rehabilitation of denuded hills through extensive afforestation, to halt ecological degradation through raising vegetative cover, sustainable management of the existing natural and man made forests through local community participation, mobilization.

The plan chalked out for the organization of tribal communities and strengthening tribal system of promotion, conservation and sustainable management of natural forests, creating awareness among the tribesmen about forestry through media celebration of Field Days and massive afforestation campaigns.

According to Media Cell FATA, out of the FATA's total 68.11,220 across area 5, 57,243 acre is under natural forest cover while 276090 acres is afforested area. The key point of the strategy is to halt and reverse environmental degradation through increasing vegetative cover.

The Forest Department FATA has planned plantation of 8.035 million trees over an area of 14740 acres in FATA during the current spring plantation campaign. Out of this 1,189 million trees would be planted in Khyber Agency alone. The Forest Department FATA has urged the tribesmen to make the tree plantation campaign a success by planting maximum number of trees in their fields and cultivable waste lands.