The Ceremonious National Green Day

Modern terms like Climate Change, Global Warming and Greenhouse Effects are not myth, they are alarming realities of the day. That's why the Earth Day is annually celebrated worldwide on April 22 to demonstrate support for environment protection. On similar pattern the World Environment Day is also observed every year on June 5 to raise awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet earth. Now, what has led our beloved Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif to introduce and add another one on February 9 to celebrate this year the Green Day across the country is surprising, yet vapid and to a certain extent surplus exercise.

However, when one goes through the contextual endeavor it is not difficult to understand the reason behind this newly-introduced national day. It marks the kick off of spending spree of worth Rs. 3652.142 million project the "Green Pakistan Programme -- Revival of Forestry Resources in Pakistan", which aims at plantation of some 100 million indigenous and fast growing local tree species over the next five years throughout the country.

Now with this background today on February 9, 2017, the PM is going to inaugurate the National Green Day with 20 Special Children from Ministry of Climate Change. The Day is being celebrated across the country under the PM' Green Pakistan Program. More than 100 events are being arranged throughout country to begin to burn with both ends the hefty Rs. 3652.142 billion rupees project without any coherent strategy. While Chief Ministers of Khyber Pakhtunhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Prime Minister of the Azad Kashmir will also inaugurate the program on the same day in their respective provinces. The PM Media Cell Wing states in this regard "First time in the history  all provinces will launch plantation drive on the same day through local trees only. Record local trees will be planted in one day by government, NGOs, and students.

However, new plantation derive is a good effort but it is also necessary that government must also have a day spare to take action against those who are responsible for deforestation and involved in mass cutting of trees.  The deforestation rate in Pakistan is already very high in the world i.e. more than 2% per anum. And, keeping aside the devastation by timber mafia, the green cover in the country is rapidly shrinking also under national umbrella on the name of housing schemes, roadways expansions and other infrastructural construction.

What was more scandalous is mass cutting of some 18,000 trees in Karachi to pave way the Green Line Bus Project and another 12,000 during widening of the University Road.  Besides to establish cattle market for keeping  sacrificial animals for sale on Eidul Azha in 2016 nearly 540 fully grown Neem trees on Superhighway were chopped down.  All that  deforestation was done by public sector on the name of development.

The government do not need to increase or introduce new days as a mark to observe environment protection, it is better to invest energy and finances on already ongoing efforts and resolves to conserve the environs, pledged on yearly basis. 

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Editorial, Infocus