MULTAN  -  In a bold move to counter the loom­ing threats of climate change and of­fer a verdant sanctuary for students, the Department of School Education South Punjab has unveiled plans to cultivate Miyawaki forests in 258 government schools. 

The pioneering endeavour, de­signed to tackle tree scarcity and forge a resilient ecosystem, enters its second phase with 258 selected schools slated to embrace the trans­formation. The inaugural planting of the Miyawaki forests is set to unfurl today (Wednesday) in a gala event at the Government High School Jamia Uloom New Multan. Notable dignitar­ies including the Secretary of School Education South Punjab, Rana Salim Ahmad Khan, and Secretary of For­ests South Punjab, Sarfraz Ahmed, are poised to inaugurate the ambi­tious campaign. The concerted effort will usher in the growth of Miyawaki forests alongside the monsoon plant­ing season, said official source.

The innovative Miyawaki tech­nique promises to usher in forests with a swiftness and density as it is 10 times faster and 30 times thicker, compared to natural forests. Secre­tary Rana Salim Ahmad Khan under­scored the urgency of the initiative, revealing Pakistan’s fifth-ranking sta­tus among nations bearing the brunt of climate change ramifications. Tackling this dilemma becomes the cornerstone of preserving both the present and the posterity.

Secretary Khan further empha­sised that metropolises and densely populated zones, often marred by pollution and a dearth of greenery, would get immense benefits from the Miyawaki forests. Planting Miyawaki forest is a good idea. It will make cit­ies better and give use cleaner air to breathe. The new forests give us hope for better future, he maintained.

COMMISSIONER FOR INSPECTION OF INDUSTRIAL UNITS, POULTRY SHEDS, KILNS TO PREVENT ENVIRONMENT

Commissioner Multan Division, En­gineer Aamir Khattak, termed a zero-tolerance policy for the prevention of environmental pollution and ordered the environment department for the thorough inspection of industrial units, poultry sheds, and brick kilns.

He expressed these views while chair­ing the divisional environmental commit­tee meeting here on Tuesday. He directed to include civil society and stakeholders in the campaign against smog.

Various cases including new petrol pumps, cold storage, and warehouses were approved in the meeting. The commissioner ordered departments concerned to complete NOCs of pet­rol pumps in the timeline on merit. He warned that strict action would be taken over violation of SOPs of infra­structure and master plan. He asked to accelerate the process of shifting brick kilns to zigzag technology across the division. He said that complete scrutiny of commercial building maps and parking areas would be made.