Planting Trees along Highways Completed Ahead of Schedule

Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has completed the early projects to plant trees and create a drip irrigation system along five major highways of the country. Environmental NGOs are dissatisfied with the fact that the process of implementation and monitoring of the implementation of the work were not involved the public. For this reason, the above figures may not be accurate.

According to the ministry, 20 of the project involves planting of greenery on 775 hectares of land along the highway Baku-Gazakh Baku-Guba, Baku-Shamakhi, Baku-Astara highway and the road leading to the Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport, and a system of drip irrigation on 1453 ha area in the territories. For realization of this work from the state budget in 2011-2012 there was allocated 20,760,000 manats (for design estimates there was provided 20,145,000 AZN).

Through funds purchased 278 thousand planting materials, although the project was laid by the purchase of about 804 thousand seedlings. However, from its own resources was ensured planting 2,131 thousand seedlings. The actual amount of work performed is estimated at 26.3 million manat, the ministry said.

The report also highlights that 98% of the planted trees are adapted to local conditions of soil and climate.

  President of the NGO "National Center for Ecology and Forecasting" Telman Zeynalov praised the progress the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the work to change the aesthetic look of the main roads. However, he believes that an objective assessment of the ministries in this area required the use of non-governmental organizations to monitor its infancy. With no comparative data it is impossible to accurately interpret the workload and effectiveness of material resources expended, said the ecologist. -08B-