Islamabad; Enemy of its Own Environs

It seems the only enemy left before Islamabad now is it’s own green cover, as the capital doesn’t want to give any space for trees and greenery in its limitation. Either chopped down on the name of development or set to fire by unknown people, flora of any kind really has no future in Islamabad. The result is obvious. For continuous three weeks in May 2018, Islamabad soared above 40 degrees when outdoor mobility got extremely difficult. That led the Met Office DG Dr Ghulam Rasul to believe the prolonged heat spell without any rainfall was unusual for Islamabad.

Since the last couple of years, incidents of chopping down trees have been a routine phenomenon of the capital environment woes. Some 750 fully grown and decades-old trees, 3800 small trees along with several shurbs were cut down during the construction of Metro Bus project in 2015. Then same year in July more than 300 trees of mulberry, pear and other fruits rooted out gain for the expansion of Islamabad Expressway.

In May 2017 according to NESPAK around a thousand trees of upto 100 years became prey to Metro Bus Service extension from Peshawar Morr to connect the city from the New Islamabad International Airport.  In October last year the CDA cut down around 250 trees at Embassy Road for the expansion of vehicular traffic movement. Earlier unaccounted trees were also chopped along the Attaturk Road only to further lanes. On the other hand, Ahsan Iqbal briefed in Senate this year that thousands of paper mulberry trees are yet be rooted out from Islamabad because these trees are causing health problems.

Beside untapped cutting of trees in capital the fire incidents at Margalla Hills National Park is a routine exercise since a half decade. The site is an expensive tract at the foothills of the greater Himalayas, alongside Shakarparian Park and Rawal Lake. Established in 1980, the Park covers 67.13 square miles and rich in biodiversity of fauna and flora.

Only in the month of May in 2016 eight wildfires were reported while in April next year over three acres of forest was burnt in a single fire incident. This year on 31^st March fire broke out behind Daman e Koh of the Margala Hills and ruined three to four acres of land in a single day. Then four incidents held in April reducing hundreds of acres of pristine land and flora to cinders.    

Then in May two different fires broke out behind Saidpur Village and Daman e Koh point and spread over ten to twelve acres. Since the first week of June a wildfire has been raging and turned uncountable trees into ashes. This is recorded as the worst fire incident which has affected more than six hectares of land. Most of trees were of pine which take decades to get developed and fully grown.

Usually these incidents occur between April 15 and July 15 when temperature is high. However, it is widely believed these trees are deliberately torched every year by timber mafia and hunters.  First the trees are cut and then the area is torched to cover up the crime.

Does the city really needs any more enemy?

By

Editorial, Infocus