Naina Ashraq
Healthy survival of human beings depends on the quality of environment they live in. A change in physical environment brings changes in social, cultural and biological environment. For this purpose green spaces provide a pleasant atmosphere to the citizen to escape momentarily from smoke, noise and drudgery of work.
No doubt, greenery attracts rains, absorbs the summer heat, adds Oxygen to air prevents pollution and saves soil erosion. The importance of green areas is gaining greater acceptance day by day especially due to the rapid urbanization resulting in environmental degradation.
A few years back, the Punjab government established the department of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) in some regions and now on the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif this department is being enhanced and expanding to the district level that will make our cities and towns more beautiful and with healthier environment.
The writer being a representative of the PHA Rawalpindi want to highlight some key and very important steps taken by the current Director General of PHA and its management.
First of all, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA)has started some new projects aimed at enhancing the beauty of Rawalpindi and Murree.
The decision includes the establishment of food outlets of famous chains at major amusement parks in Murree and Rawalpindi as well as the construction of a large nursery on the government land.
Besides, the city of Rawalpindi will witness the construction of its first major nursery, which will span across 500 acres of government land in Gorakhpur. This initiative aims to bolster the availability of plants and saplings for beautification purposes. Additionally, there are plans to transform Murree Road in Rawalpindi into an attractive and exemplary model road.
The PHA has started renovation and beautification of parks besides improving greenbelts along the roads in the garrison city and Murree. Moreover, two parks in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed will be rehabilitated by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) of the United Nations.
The PHA launched a campaign to ensure renovation and beautification in all public parks. In summer due to the extreme hot weather in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, a large number of citizens visit public parks in the evening. The PHA is using all available resources to provide quality recreational facilities to the public. This also includes lighting and seating arrangements which are being improved and decoration of plants and flowers being carried out in the parks. Special arrangements have also been made for cleanliness in the parks.
When we talk about Murree, the PHA had made a comprehensive plan for the beautification of the hill station, for example, two main parks of Murree—Bagh-i-Shaheedan and the PIA Park—will soon be renovated.
Few weeks earlier the DG PHA Ahmad Hassan Ranjha said in a statement that “We plan to plant flowers on roads from Jheeka Gali to Kashmir Point and visitors will see the difference in the area in the coming days, “We already have installed LED lights on different roads in Murree to improve the ambience in the night and evening.” Plantation of new plants will give a new look to the area to attract more tourists.
He expressed his determination that this year the target of the plantation drive will be ensured by utilising the monsoon months. He also appealed to the citizens to make the plantation campaign in the city and its surroundings a success, saplings would be distributed among the public in connection with the plantation drive organised by the PHA, so that the target of planting one million saplings can be achieved in Rawalpindi in this season. A large number of citizens visited public parks in Rawalpindi with their families, adding the cleaning and beautification measures by the PHA were applauded by the visitors.
The writer is media graduate from University of Sargodha and currently working as Public Relation Officer of PHA Rawalpindi
