ISLAMABAD - Government has declared August 18 the National Tree Planting Day (NTPD) aimed to address deforestation and associated environmental problems being faced by the nation. Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi announced this here on Monday. The Ministry of Environment had planned a series of activities as a part of the National Year of Environment (NYE) 2009. One such event of setting Guinness World Record (GWR) by planting maximum number of trees in a single day has been celebrated on July 15, 2009 in a barren island near Keti Bundar, where Pakistan has set a new World Record of planting 541,176 trees in a single day, breaking earlier World Record of 447,874 trees by India. Recognising such a great achievement, the President of Pakistan has declared August 18, 2009 as National Tree Planting Day (NTPD). While informing journalists about the objective of celebration of NTPD, the minister said that prime minister has approved a summary for celebration of National Tree Planting Day each year on August 18. Afridi said that people from all walks of life would be mobilised to participate in tree plantation campaign throughout the country so that a maximum number of trees can be planted in a single day. He informed that awareness campaign being launched today would be followed by a series of advertisements and TV programmes on daily basis till August 18, 2009. He requested the media to give maximum coverage to the campaign so that the message for planting trees on NTPD reaches each and every segment of the society. He informed that a dedicated website on NTPD is being launched by Ministry of Environment under the address Plant for Pakistan.gov.pk.