Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has said that the city’s urban forest project will help reduce air pollution, with plantation work already in progress along Shahrah-e-Bhutto.
While speaking to the media in Karachi, Wahab said that 10,000 trees have already been planted on Shahrah-e-Bhutto, while the overall goal is to plant 100,000 saplings under the initiative. He called the project an important step towards making Karachi a greener and more environmentally friendly city.
The mayor said the urban forest initiative would play a key role in improving the city’s air quality. He added that the plantation campaign had been sped up as part of wider efforts to improve the environment.
According to Wahab, neem, gulmohar, and several other trees will be planted along Shahrah-e-Bhutto, with the work being carried out in different phases. He said the large-scale plantation drive was launched to increase oxygen levels in the city and support practical efforts to make Karachi a green city.
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He further said that the city government had previously planned to establish green zones around Shahrah-e-Bhutto, and work on the project began nearly two months ago through the Parks Department of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. He added that priority would be given to native plants under the initiative.
Wahab also announced that similar green zones would be introduced in all seven districts of Karachi. Referring to earlier plantation campaigns, he said neem trees had already been planted in Korangi and encouraged citizens to take part in the drive by planting saplings as an act of ongoing charity.
Talking about development projects in the city, the mayor said work was also continuing on Shahrah-e-Bhutto, Baloch Colony Expressway, Korangi Causeway, and Taj Haider Bridge.