LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that for providing a healthy atmosphere to the citizens, government is attaching due priority to solid waste management and generation of energy from waste material and negotiations are being held with China and France for this purpose. He said the Punjab government would extend all out cooperation to the federal ministry of environment in celebrating 2009 as National Year of Environment and comprehensive programmes will be launched for promoting public awareness in this regard. It was stated by him while talking to Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afradi at the Chief Minister's Secretariat, here Friday. Federal Secretary Environment Khushnood Akhtar Lashari and Provincial Secretary Forests and Environment were also present on the occasion. The chief minister said that Punjab government would fully participate in the campaign for the plantation of a record number of ten million saplings in a single day during the National Year of Environment to be celebrated by the ministry of environment. He also directed the forest department to plant maximum trees for controlling environmental pollution and provision of a healthy atmosphere to the citizens. He said that trees should be planted along motorway and highways and cooperation of private sector should also be sought for this purpose. Taking strict notice of non-installation of incinerators provided by federal government in hospitals for the disposal of waste and toxic material, the chief minister said that if dialysis machines can be imported by air at a heavy expenditure for saving the life of the common man why installation of incinerators was delayed. He issued instructions for seeking an immediate report from Health Department in this regard. He said that provision of potable water to the people is of vital importance so that they could be saved from gastro and other diseases. He directed that early installation of water filtration plants be ensured in Punjab on the pattern of federal government and other provinces and added that federal government has already allocated funds for this purpose. He assured Federal Minister that Punjab government will extend all out cooperation to Ministry of Environment in controlling environmental pollution and promoting awareness about environmental problems. Earlier, Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi said that President of Pakistan and Prime Minister have declared 2009 as the National Year of Environment for the purpose of promoting awareness in the people about environmental problems. He said that comprehensive programmes have been chalked out with the cooperation of provincial governments, international development agencies, NGOs and other concerned departments in this regard and the government has formulated national policies regarding environment, sanitation and energy conservation. He said that provincial governments should play their due role for the implementation of these policies. He said that national policies on potable water and forests are also being evolved. He said that meeting with Chief Minister Punjab is a part of the programme for celebration of National Environment Year successfully with the cooperation of provinces. He said that the project of generation of energy from solid waste in Faisalabad will soon be started. He also informed the Chief Minister about other priorities of Ministry of Environment.