ISLAMABAD: The environmentalists have urged the federal government to announce a comprehensive plan for future sustainability of the Margalla Hills National Park with an aim to help convert it up to the level of world-class national parks.
In a joint note various organisations working for conservation of natural environment said collective efforts would help preserve the rich flora and fauna of the Margalla Hills as there are very few capital cities in the world that are blessed with such close proximity to nature as Islamabad.
Capital Development Authority is already focusing on planting the indigenous species, especially fruit and flowering trees including ‘chir’, pine, ‘kachnar’, ‘amaltas’, ‘dhreak’, jacaranda, and olive and strict monitoring of the planted saplings is being carried out to ensure their maximum survival.
The National Park forms the southernmost distributional limit for many Himalayan animal species and the northern most limits for many species of the plain areas in the south.
As a result of a series of survey of the park, 54 species of butterflies, 37 of fish, nine of amphibians, 20 of reptiles, 380 of birds, 21 of small mammals and 15 species of large mammals were recorded.
“The beauty of Islamabad is only because of these Margalla Hills and destroying these will end the beauty and greenery of Islamabad forever.”
President of Margalla Hills Society Roedad Khan said that chopping of trees in the name of development should be discouraged to protect environment and promote tourism.
Internews
