HYDERABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 11th Aug, 2026) Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam, organized a plantation drive and environmental awareness session under the theme “Green Pakistan, Green Future” as part of its Independence Day 2026 celebrations.
According to the SAU spokesperson, Gul Sher Lochi, the activity was held in front of the greenhouse near the Faculty of Crop Protection, where Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Dr Altaf Ali Siyal, deans of various faculties, faculty members, officers and students actively participated in the plantation campaign and planted saplings.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Altaf Siyal stressed the need for sustained efforts to protect forests and expand the country’s tree cover. He said Pakistan urgently needed long-term measures for forest conservation and plantation, noting that the national policy objective envisaged a substantial increase in forest and tree cover across the country.
Referring to the situation in Sindh, the vice chancellor said the province faced a serious challenge in expanding its productive forest cover. According to data of the Sindh Forest Department, riverine forests account for around 1.71 per cent and irrigated plantations for about 0.58 per cent of the province’s area, bringing the combined productive forest cover to approximately 2.29 per cent.
He stressed that forest restoration, agroforestry, urban plantation, plantation along canals and roads and protection and expansion of mangrove forests should be treated as important environmental priorities.
Dr Siyal said climate change was already affecting Pakistan through extreme heat, heatwaves, irregular rainfall, floods, droughts, water scarcity and increasing pressure on agricultural production.
He proposed a practical initiative under which every student, from school to university level, should plant a tree in his or her own name and remain responsible for its care throughout their educational journey.
“If a student regularly looks after the sapling planted at the beginning of his or her academic journey, it can grow into a mature tree by the time the student completes a degree,” he said, adding that the initiative could create a lasting personal connection between education, environmental responsibility and national development.
The vice chancellor said SAU was promoting research and teaching in areas including climate-smart agriculture, efficient water use, agroforestry, soil conservation, carbon management, environmentally friendly agricultural technologies and climate-resilient crops.
Dean Faculty of Agriculture, Dr Abdul Mubeen Lodhi, said patriotism also meant protecting the country’s natural resources. He said linking plantation activities with Independence Day was a positive way of translating love for the country into practical action.
Chairman STEP, Dr Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar, said independence brought not only rights but also responsibilities, and protection of the environment was one of the country’s important collective responsibilities.
Dean Dr Inayatullah Rajpar, Dean Dr Syed Ghiasuddin Shah Rashdi, Dean Dr Muneer Ahmed Mangrio and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka Dr Amani Mannakkara along with faculty members, officers and students, also participated in the plantation activity.
