From a city once known for its gardens to one increasingly burdened by pollution and shrinking green spaces, Lahore is facing growing environmental pressures.
38 Tehreek and the Progressive Students Collective, in collaboration with members of civil society, organized a tree plantation activity on newly donated land near Kamran ki Bara Dari along the Ravi River. Hundreds of people participated, planting more than a thousand trees as part of an effort to establish an urban forest.
The organizers described the initiative as more than a plantation drive, framing it as a collective response to Lahore's worsening air pollution and the continued loss of green spaces.
Participants highlighted the rapid expansion of housing societies and urban development, arguing that the city's remaining open and natural spaces are increasingly being transformed for commercial purposes.
The gathering emphasized the need to preserve and reclaim urban spaces for communities, biodiversity and future generations. Speakers and participants stressed that forests and green spaces are essential to the city's environmental health rather than being a luxury.
The plantation also served as a reminder of Lahore's historical identity as the “city of gardens.” For those involved, restoring and protecting green spaces represents a broader struggle over what kind of city Lahore will become as development continues to reshape its landscape.
The organizers and participants called for greater public involvement in protecting Lahore's remaining green spaces and creating new urban forests as a response to the city's environmental crisis.