The honorable minister placed a symbolic plaque on a 50-year old tree in the LRH compound. Apart from this, the organizers had already placed plaques on about 30 other old trees dating about 100 years. “These trees,” as Prof Abdur Rashid said, “have historical, cultural and botanical value. Besides, they have unlimited medicinal ingredients that can be used for the benefit of humanity.”
The campaign to label trees was launched from one of the oldest hospitals in the province. The purpose is to create public awareness, dissemination of knowledge about the natural plant resource and scholastic beautification in the surroundings of LRH. There are unique variety of Ficus, and also a very rare variety of epiphytes of “Barr” and “Srekh” in the premises of this institution.
“Labeling the trees is not only useful for the botanists, but is also beneficial for the environmentalists, Conservationists, Pharmacologists, Foresters, Plant Biochemists, Ethnobotanists, Ethnozoologists, Ethnobiologists, Geographers and Ecologists. Although so many species of plants have been lost (like Argemone maxicana,) due to ignorance, but there is still a lot more to be preserved and protected. It is never too late.” He said in his keynote speech.
Earlier, Dr. Murad Ali, in his introduction to SCN, underlined that unplanned development has affected the urban services and ecology. Voracious developers are consuming green belts, parks and vast tracts of green pastures around the city. Berserk construction of multistoried structures in an already congested area has changed the face of a well-planned boulevard in the cantonment area. The disfiguring/elimination of structures that constitute the heart of the architectural, environmental and cultural heritage of the city is resulting in unaesthetic eyesores everywhere, and in a process that seems destined to continue unabated, as voracious greed targets newer heritage gems to convert into money.
Similarly, unplanned development has already taken a significant and progressively accelerated a toll on Peshawar’s surroundings and green belts, with both parks and trees facing inevitable extinction. The existing parks have, for instance, continued to fall victim to organised encroaching, even after fifty years of existence. Historic Parks like Shahi Bagh, Wazir Bagh, and Company Bagh have all disappeared (save one). Active lobbying by organized environmental groups and linkages with other groups is necessary to overcome this threat. He reminded that in order to live in a cleaner environment we have to work for a saner system.
The minister for environment, Mr. Abbas Khan said that he was pleased that doctors have taken an initiative towards environmental protection and conservation. All the same, he complained there was a great “disconnect” between the NGOs, policy planners and implementation of sound environmental policies. His comment that “There should be a workshop on how not to conduct workshops!” provoked laughter amongst the audience. His message was that all relevant departments and NGOs should work in consultation with each other to find answers and solutions to environmental problems and find ways and means to eliminate the “divide” between policy and implementation.
SCN pledged to save the natural treasures for our future generations. “A world without the wonders of nature would be desolate and unlivable. Let us all agree today that all developmental policies will be geared towards preserving the existing foliage and trees. Today we are here to celebrate the majesty of trees. This is, indeed, our homage and an expression of our love and devotion for our diverse historical, cultural, ecological treasures”.
Adil Zareef (Apr 10, 2002)
Newsreport: "Vision 2025" - a Forest Conservation Plan and SCN (Apr 11, 2002)
SCN's Public Awareness Campaign on Conservation of Plant Biodiveristy (Apr 10, 2002 )
Letter by SCN's Secretary Adil Zareef regarding the Historical Gor Gutheree (Mar 2002)
SCN Lends Support to CRCP Against Tree Felling at Ayub Park (Feb, 16th 2002)
SCN Arranges Poster Exhibition/Seminar on World Environment Day (Jun 05, 2002)
SCN's Monsoon Tree Plantation Drive 2002 (Jul 31, 2002)