93pc of Karachi without vegetative cover, moot told

KARACHI - City Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal on Saturday asked the Chief Director of Tahir Traders-Landscape Consultants to consult all the CDGK departments before proposing a plan for the forestation of the city.

He asked for a complete plan for city forestation while listening to the preliminary presentation of Chief Director, Dr. Ghulam Kerio of Tahir Traders-Landscape Consultants on the topic of “Forestation, Aesthetic Plantation and Landscaping Study Karachi”.

“It feel that the consultants have not contacted all the CDGK departments before proposing the plan for the city’s forestation,” Kamal said after listening to the presentation of Dr. Ghulam Kerio.

He said that the consultants must contact the Parks and Horticulture department of CDGK in this regard and submit their preliminary report to them. He also asked the consultants to propose a law by which citizens could be bound to protect trees. He also pointed out the consultants that he wants big trees to be planted in the city.

“The CDGK is committed to developing parks and it is also fighting the land grabbers and other Mafias to save the parks of the city,” the City nazim claimed.

He said that the preliminary report of the consultants shows no synchronization with the upcoming plans of CDGK, NHA and other agencies and the consultants need to work more on their research.

The vegetative cover of Karachi city both in urban agriculture area and build up area including DHA and Cantonments as determined from baseline survey through satellite imageries of March, 2007 and application of GIS of facility is 7 %, said Chief Director, Dr. Ghulam Keerio of Tahir Traders-Landscape Consultants.

Majority of this coverage pertains to the canopy cover of trees planted in farmlands, streets, roads and residential areas of Karachi, he said. Prior to this study the quantum of vegetation coverage in the city was not known, he added.

Hence, this investigation not only gives the vegetation coverage of Karachi but also is a benchmark of future way forward and the interventions of comprehensive plan will follow this milestone/benchmark, he said.