0.3m saplings planted along Expressway during last spring campaign. PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD: Saplings planted at Islamabad Expressway from I-8 interchange to Faizabad during the last tree plantation drive had withered due to negligence of Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC). Not a single sapling planted at the Expressway from I-8 interchange to Faizabad during the last tree plantation drive had survived because of lack of proper care.



People regularly travelling along the Expressway from Islamabad to Rawat urged the IMC to not only plant local environment friendly saplings but also devise a mechanism to look after them. Zahid Mehmood daily traveling on the road said that from I-8 to Faizabad, a large amount of space is available to plant more trees. "I hope during the current drive, IMC will plant more and more trees along the Expressway adding to the beauty of the best planned capital in the world."



IMC Director General Manzoor Hussain Shah, while talking to the media said although the mandate to plant saplings in the federal capital jurisdiction had come under his department for the first time, he would direct IMC to visit the Expressway and submit the report about the saplings planted in the last drive.



About upcoming tree plantation drive, he said IMC alone would plant about 0.3 million saplings across the federal capital to make the city more beautiful while NGOs and other schools and colleges would also plant about 0.2 million saplings. "This time saplings will be planted at all the green belts, parks, Expressways, Margalla Hills, National Park, Simly Dam and Kashmir Highway" he added. He said IMC had also decided to plant fruit trees across the city this time.



Pakistan Railways Rawalpindi Division would plant 50,000 saplings under spring tree plantation campaign 2019 in different areas of the division including 100 Railway Stations, Railway Colonies, Platforms and other areas for healthier and sustainable environment.



Railways Divisional Superintendent Syed Munawar Shah informed that different saplings like Bohar, Sukh Chain, Neem, Mulberry, Sada Bahar, Arjun, Sheesham and others would be planted in the division to make the environment green and beautiful.



To a question he informed that on the directive of Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rashid, the Railway's teams had accelerated their operat ion against the menace of ticket-less travelling.



He informed that over 1,150 ticketless passengers were caught and imposed fines in Rawalpindi division during January and the teams recovered Rs650,590 as fare and penalty. Special raiding teams of Rawalpindi Railway Division were carrying out surprise checks on various trains.



He said that the menace of travelling without tickets in trains was decreasing day by day due to strict measures by the department.



Dining cars were also being inspected by the officials to ensure that hygienic food was served to passengers, he added. Railway authorities had taken strict notice of the complaints from people about serving of sub-standard food on trains despite the high prices, he added.



He informed that due to enhanced security measures, quality service and punctuality, the rain passengers are increasing day by day. He said, out of total 46 trains running from Rawalpindi Division, 40 including Green Line, Tezgam, Pakistan Express, Hazara Express, eight Lahore Railcars, Mehar Express and Kohat Railcar start journey from Rawalpindi while six including Khyber Mail, Awam Express and Jaffar Express, start their journey from Peshawar and cross through the division.



Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2019.