Forests on 1000 hectares of land revived in Khost

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Forests on a thousand hectares of land have been revived in southeastern Khost province, officials said on Thursday.

Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Department officials said the forests were revived in different districts in the past one year with the help of some NGOs.

For instance, they pointed to the revival of a 350-hectare forest with the plantation of walnut saplings in the Sinkio village of Tani district.

In a chat with Pajhwok Afghan News, a resident of the village, Angar Wali, said people had previously cut forest-trees due to poverty,

However, he was thrilled to see the mountains covered again with green trees. Wali hoped people’s economic issues would be resolved if the walnut trees were allowed to grow.

He believed: “If the walnut-forest grows thicker, our people will be lifted out of poverty. People will get employment and profited from the forest in several ways.”

Akhtar Zaman, another resident of the area, urged the government to focus on reforestation in other areas where trees had been felled. He advised the people not to cut trees but pay attention to their protection.

Zaman suggested: “The government and NGOs should promote awareness about the importance of trees and forests. They should encourage people to save existing trees and plant more in deforested areas.”

Din Mohammad, another resident of Khost, believes protection of forests has a positive impact on human life and climate. Forests help prevent flooding and add to the beauty of places, he argues.

Mohammad said: “Forests play an important role in the protection of environment, contributing to oxygen levels and absorbing carbon dioxide.

At the same time, agriculture officials said forests on a thousand hectares of land had been revived in Tani, Musa Khel and Zazai Maidan districts.

Kamaluddin Kamal, an official of the agriculture department, told Pajhwok, greater attention was being paid to the revival and protection of forests by the current government.

Kamal said: “During the previous year (2023), hundreds of thousands of -saplings were planted on a thousand hectares of land for the revival of forests.”

To prevent deforestation, officials informed, they had created a security unit — the Green Unit.

With the help of the Green Unit, hundreds of individuals have been arrested for felling trees and referred to relevant authorities.

aw/mud

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