By: The Kabul Times
KABUL: President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a decree has declared March 10, which is coincided with Hoot 20, as the “National Plantation Day’ and ordered the state organs to start the annual plantation campaign from March 10 onward.
The decree has also asked the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock to accelerate efforts at distributing tree seedlings in capital and provinces to the government employees, students of schools and higher education institutions, a statement from the presidential press office said on Thursday.
“In order to expand green areas, promote plantation of saplings and forestation, the president issues a nine-point decree, keeping in view the importance of forest and trees for environment and reduction in pollution,” reads a statement from Presidential Palace.
The president directed the Ministry of Agriculture to accelerate the process of saplings distribution in central capital and provinces through a proper plan.
First point of the new order also says government institutions are bound to plantation and its maintenance in their properties and point third says municipalities are bound to plant and protect plantation in public and urban areas.
According to the second and third paragraphs of the article, the coordination Committee was responsible for encouraging business owners, industrial and commercial establishments to fund seedling plantation programs, as well as persuade civil society activists to participate in the campaign and help better introduction of new methods of tree planting and forest protection and conservation.
Based on the article 7th of the decree, the government organs and municipalities in the capital Kabul and other provinces were responsible for protection of the saplings.