Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK): At the second leg of the spirit to bring about ‘Green Revolution’ with face-lifting of this city of over a million of UK-based expatriates through laying the green-belt at either side of the dual carriage Mirpur-Mangla Express Way, Mirpur Development Authority with the collaboration of UK-based International NGO Muslim Hands here on Tuesday launched the grand tree plantation project –“Road to Fame†at a simple but impressive ceremony at Chitterpari in the city.
AJK Minister for Sports, Culture and MDA Affairs Ch. Muhammad Saeed, Director General MDA and Commissioner Mirpur Division Zafar Mahmood Khan inaugurated the campaign by planting saplings along the Mirpur-Mangla Expressway at Chitterpari, the entering point of Mirpur city.
MDA’s Deputy Director Horticulture & Planning Mirza Muhammad Kaleem Jaraal, Director Works Masood Qadri, Director Law MDA Ch. Zaraat Hussain as well as representatives of the Muslim Hands including Focal Person Syed Ibnulhassan Gillani and Muhammad Kaashif Hussain and Saad Hussain and other officials of both the organizations were also present on this occasion.
Briefing media on this occasion Deputy Director Horticulture & Planning MDA Mirza Muhammad Kaleem Jiraal said that on the special directives of the Director General MDA Zaffar Mahmood the Horticulture and Planning Division of the MDA moved, with the coordination of the Muslim Hands International, to implement the ‘Road of Fame’ tree plantation project planting over two thousand saplings besides affixing the iron fences on both sides of the road in names of notables of Mirpur city.
He said that the ‘Road of Fame’ tree plantation project covers the total 10 kilometer distance of the project right from Mangla Bridge (the gateway to this part of Kashmir) to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College in Mirpur.
Elaborating the prime objectives of the Road of Fame Project by the Muslim Hands with the collaboration of the MDA, Mirza Kaleem said it involved the implementation of the spirit to pay a tribute to parent generation for their efforts and contribution in uplifting of Mirpur city through developing the road of fame from Mangla to Benazir Medical college through tree plantation in the names of various city elite, notables in three phases by the end of this year. He underlined that the plants coupled with two thousand iron fences shall be provided by Mirpur Development Authority. Whereas the Muslim Hands will facilitate through manpower and other required needs to make the entire project complete success.
The project shall be implemented in three phases with a tentative methodology subjected to change in feasibility of the project site. The MDA and Muslim Hands have already implemented the first phase of the project as pilot project.
It may be added that under the terms of reference of the MoU already reached between the two institutions, the MDA shall be bound to provide access to the Muslim Hands on main Mirpur-Mangla express way from Mangla Bridge to Mohterma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College in Mirpur coupled with the required basic infrastructural facilities including 2000 iron fences, which area already installed on plants that need no further protection and along with almost same number of plants. The MDA shall be responsible for maintenance of the project for longer sustainability besides ensuring legal cover of the project side by side dealing with all inter and intra departmental constraints as and when required. The NGO will also be liable to share the final formulated list with the MDA – besides having the right to ensure its complete visibility along either side of the ‘Road of Fameâ€