Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday posted a comparison between two photographs on his Twitter account, depicting the ‘before’ and ‘after’ condition of Lahore’s Liberty roundabout after the plantation of trees. This plantation was done using the Japanese Miyawaki technique, which the Prime Minister called “the best way to fight pollution.”
“I have launched urban forestry on the lines of Miyawaki technique in Japan where the trees grow 10 times faster and 30 times denser and is the best way to fight pollution,” he said in his tweet. “50 sites have been chosen in Lahore. First experiment was in Liberty roundabout in 2020.”
Under the Miyawaki approach, multiple native species of plants are planted close to each other, in the same area, so plants receive sunlight only from the top, and grow upwards instead of sideways.
On Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had conducted a one-day visit to Lahore to inaugurate the Miyawaki urban forest at Jilani Park, Lahore. The forest is meant to be self-sustaining and maintenance-free.
On his visit, he was briefed about the progress made so far to achieve the target of fifty-one Urban Forest sites in the provincial capital to check air pollution and protect the environment.
Lahore is one of the most polluted cities in Pakistan, with levels of smog rising each year. Speaking at the inauguration, the Prime Minister attributed this to the lack of forest cover in the city.
“The forest cover of Lahore has been reduced by 70% in the last 12-13 years,” he said. “If this kind of consistent smog remains, it reduces the average lifespan by 6-11 years.”
