PHA appoints tree officers across Punjab

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jun, 2026) Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) has designated senior officers as Tree Officers

in major district agencies to ensure effective tree protection, digital record maintenance,

replanting supervision, and enforcement of horticulture regulations across the province.

A spokesperson for the PHA said on Sunday the appointments had been made under

tree protection regulations adopted earlier this year by the umbrella body of district

horticulture agencies. Under the new framework, the PHA Director General was

authorized to appoint one or more Tree Officers for each district agency.

The spokesperson said that Tree Officers had already been designated in Gujranwala,

Dera Ghazi Khan, and Sargodha, while appointments in the remaining districts were

expected in the coming days.

Under the regulations, Tree Officers would maintain and regularly update a Comprehensive

Tree Inventory Record, including GIS-based mapping of trees, and conduct periodic

inspections within their jurisdictions. They will also examine applications related to

tree felling, pruning, and transplantation, and present such cases before a technical

committee for approval.

Each district agency would establish a technical committee comprising independent

experts, including arborists, foresters, environmentalists, and botanists, to review

requests concerning tree removal, pruning, or transplantation.

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The Tree Officer will

serve as the committee's secretary.

The officers will also oversee compensatory plantation initiatives and monitor the

survival of newly planted trees for at least three years. Their responsibilities further

include identifying and maintaining records of Heritage Trees, initiating action against

violators through notices and penalty recommendations, and submitting quarterly

compliance and preservation reports to the managing directors of the respective

horticulture agencies.

In addition, Tree Officers will coordinate with government departments on infrastructure

projects affecting trees and will be empowered to impose fines and penalties where required.

To support field operations, the department will also appoint Assistant Tree Officers (ATOs).

These officers will assist with inspections, field verification, monitoring plantation sites,

preparing technical assessment reports, and maintaining photographic and digital records.

The PHA spokesperson reiterated the department's zero-tolerance policy towards illegal

tree cutting, emphasizing that tree protection remains a top priority of both the Punjab

government and the authority.

He added that extensive plantation campaigns were being carried out across districts

to improve the environment and climate, while awareness initiatives were also being

undertaken to educate younger generations about the importance of trees and forests.