CDA Chairman Offers Independent Inquiry Into Islamabad Tree Cutting Drive

The Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has proposed an independent inquiry into the large-scale cutting of trees in Islamabad, stating that the decision to remove them was taken on the recommendation of the Ministry of Health. He reiterated that the civic body’s policy is to plant multiple new trees for every one felled and said the authority is ready to have its actions scrutinized.

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Senate committee steps in: Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, directed the Ministry of Climate Change to constitute a committee to re-examine the entire matter. She stressed that representatives of civil society must be included in the review process along with the district administration and CDA officials to ensure transparency and public confidence.

Debate over public health and environment: Briefing the committee, the Minister of State for Health said that paper mulberry trees, planted in Islamabad between 1960 and 1980, have serious adverse health impacts, particularly triggering pollen allergies. He informed the members that 80,000 such trees are slated for removal, of which 29,115 have already been cut, while 40,000 indigenous species have been planted as replacements to maintain the city’s greenery.

CDA’s position on projects and replantation: The CDA Chairman clarified that no new cricket ground is being built in F-9 Park and reaffirmed the policy of planting three trees for every tree cut. He cited examples such as the removal of 34 trees near the Zero Point Metro Depot, where 300 new trees were planted, and more than 4,000 trees planted at the F-8 Interchange to offset losses.

Civil society concerns and assurances: Civil society representatives voiced concern over the bulk felling of paper mulberry trees in F-9 Park, alleging technical errors in CDA’s approach and arguing that trees should not be removed on such a large scale. The committee chair instructed the CDA to take civil society and forestry experts into confidence and to submit a detailed list of all parks in Islamabad at the next meeting.

Government claims increase in green cover: Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry told the committee that Islamabad’s green areas were not being converted into brown zones and claimed that the city’s overall green cover had increased over the past two years. He added that the designs of several development projects were altered to save trees, insisting that all actions were taken in line with official policy.