ISLAMABAD: Punjab’s Forest Department has reclaimed 1,984.62 acres of forest land, estimated to be worth Rs9.008 billion, from encroachment and unlawful occupation over the past two years, according to departmental reports.
During the same period, the department reported plantation of more than 50 million trees across 50,869 acres under its forest restoration programme, alongside expanded use of digital mapping, satellite monitoring, drones and artificial intelligence for forest protection.
Southern Zone Accounts for Majority of Recoveries
The department’s records show that the Southern Zone accounted for 1,500.43 acres, or around 75.6% of the total recovered land. The Central Zone contributed 421.11 acres, while 63.08 acres were recovered in the Northern Zone.
Of the recovered land, 953.98 acres had been occupied by Kacha or Pacca structures, while 657.85 acres were under cultivation. Another 364.79 acres were involved in litigation and eight acres were associated with another government department.
Major recoveries included 797 acres at Lal Suhanra, 486 acres in Muzaffargarh, 168 acres in Sialkot, 152.20 acres in Multan and 129 acres in Sheikhupura/Nankana. Recoveries were also reported from Faisalabad, Layyah, Murree, Rajanpur, Bhakkar and Attock.
According to the departmental data, 757.69 acres were recovered during 2024-25, followed by 1,041.81 acres in 2025-26 and another 185.13 acres during 2026-27 up to July 2026.
Over 50 Million Trees Planted
The department says its restoration strategy is increasingly focused on landscape-level rehabilitation rather than simply counting individual trees.
More than 50 million trees were planted over 50,869 acres during 2024-26, covering block plantations, linear plantations, canalside and railway-side plantations, as well as peri-urban and urban forestry initiatives.
The department reported plantation of around 40 million trees during 2025-26, which it described as a record for a single year.
Digital Forest Inventory and AI Monitoring
Punjab has also expanded its digital forest management infrastructure. A digital forest inventory covering approximately 810,000 acres has been developed using high-resolution spatial data, while more than 33.74 million trees have been geo-tagged.
Separately, more than 1.6 million trees have been digitally enumerated and marked through LiDAR and field tagging, against a target of 4.7 million trees.
The digital system is designed to maintain records of forest boundaries, plantations, forest assets, encroachments, fire-risk areas, tracks, water resources and restoration sites. The department says nine digital dashboards are being used for real-time monitoring and forest operations.
Drones, Satellites Strengthen Fire Protection
Satellite imagery, GIS mapping and drone technology are being deployed to detect land-cover changes, encroachments, illegal logging and forest fires.
Punjab has established a GIS Mobile Lab equipped for field mapping, GPS-based data collection, drone operations and real-time processing and validation.
The department also reports significant reductions in fire-related land damage in selected areas during 2024-26, including an 85.05% reduction in Murree and 74.39% in Kahuta.
The fire-management system includes 24-hour drone surveillance connected to a central command-and-control room, along with 12 fire vehicles, water tanks and thermal detection equipment.
Around 45 AI-based long-range thermal sensors at 42 forest locations have also been deployed. According to the department, the sensors have a range exceeding 10 kilometres and can support early fire detection as well as timber and wildlife surveillance.
Urban Forestry and Climate Resilience
Urban and peri-urban forestry has become another component of Punjab’s restoration strategy, with initiatives aimed at addressing heatwaves, air pollution, smog and the loss of green spaces.
The department has undertaken bamboo and native-species plantations, green buffers and Miyawaki forests, including projects at the University of Punjab in Lahore and in Dera Ghazi Khan.
It also reports approximately 3,085 avenue plantation miles, comprising 2,682 canalside and 403 railway-side miles. These corridors contain around 1.34 million trees along canals and nearly 133,000 trees along railway routes.
At Lal Suhanra, a 47-kilometre protective fence has been installed to support habitat restoration, biodiversity protection and sustainable ecotourism.
Legal Reforms and Community Participation
The operational drive has been accompanied by legal and institutional reforms. The department says amendments to the Punjab Forest Act 1927 have been approved by the Punjab Assembly, including stronger penalties, mechanisms for forest protection and enhanced investigation procedures.
The department’s Forest Helpline 1084, launched in January 2025, has received more than 10,000 calls, while over 15,000 volunteers and community activists have reportedly been engaged in forest protection and public participation.
New Restoration Projects in Pipeline
For 2026-27, the Forest Department has outlined additional restoration initiatives, including the rehabilitation of 7,249 acres of barren land in Dera Ghazi Khan.
A 7,000-acre Pirowal Irrigated Plantation restoration project, with an allocation of Rs2.5 billion and a target of 3.3 million trees, is also planned. Another Rs2.5 billion has been allocated for the Bela ecosystem restoration project in Dera Ghazi Khan.
The department has further reported an Rs8 billion CM Plant for Pakistan programme, alongside proposed investments in wildlife hospitals, sanctuaries and conservation-linked ecotourism.
The combination of land recovery, large-scale plantation, digital forest inventories and technology-based surveillance marks a broader shift towards data-driven forest management, with the department seeking to strengthen both forest restoration and long-term protection of Punjab’s remaining forest resources.
Story by Fakhar Durrani
