| ISLAMABAD - Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa chaired a meeting on Monday at the CDA Headquarters regarding the removal of paper mulberry trees and the Spring Plantation Campaign 2025. The meeting was attended by environmental expert Rizwan Mahboob, ecological specialists from the Baku team, and senior officers from CDA’s Environment Wing. Chairman Randhawa stated that no effort would be spared in eliminating paper mulberry trees from Islamabad.
He emphasised that planting environment-friendly trees is a continuous charity and reaffirmed the commitment to a Green Islamabad and a Green Pakistan. He further stated that after removing paper mulberry trees, environment-friendly plants such as loquat, guava, fig, apricot, peepal, native mulberry, Arjun, Amaltas, Kachnar, Chikrandha, maple leaf, olive, sukh chain, and amla would be planted. Officials informed that approximately 5,072 paper mulberry trees had already been removed from F-9 Park, and around 10,000 new trees were planted.
The meeting was briefed that after removing paper mulberry trees from F-9 Park, approximately 30,000 environment-friendly plants would be planted during the spring season. Chairman Randhawa instructed that the remaining paper mulberry trees be removed on a priority basis due to pollen allergy concerns. He also directed CDA to publish a list of plants and trees suitable for the local environment on its website to raise public awareness. It was reported that about 10,000 paper mulberry trees would be removed from the Shakarparian area, with 50,000 new trees replacing them. Additionally, 1,000 paper mulberry trees would be cleared from slopes along drains and roads, with 80,000 local trees planted instead. Across other Islamabad sectors, 10,000 paper mulberry trees would be removed and replaced with 50,000 environment-friendly plants. The meeting highlighted the involvement of the private and corporate sectors in this year’s plantation campaign.
Chairman Randhawa stressed that the removal of paper mulberry trees should be ensured this spring, and fruit-bearing, shade-providing, and flowering trees should be planted. He also called for the participation of students, teachers, and staff from both private and public educational institutions to support the campaign. For Margalla Hills, he directed that spraying and seed dropping be conducted via helicopter. He further instructed that private housing societies promote the plantation campaign and that plant stalls be set up in low-price markets under the Ramadan Relief Package. Additionally, he emphasized involving various media outlets to spread awareness. The meeting concluded with a decision that each of the approximately 15,000 CDA officers and employees would plant one environment-friendly tree through their respective directorates. |
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