Climate warrior:  Polio affected youth plants over 90,000 saplings

APP
PESHAWAR: A determinant Polio-affected youth has emerged as a role model for countrymen in our ongoing fight against increasing threats of climatic changes causing global warming, heatwave and water scarcity, affecting millions of people.

Khizar Wali Chisti, a 32-year-old school teacher, has successfully planted more than 90,000 plants in almost all the provinces of the country.

“I have set the target of planting 10 million trees in the country and so far succeeded in planting 90,000 saplings,” says Khizar, whose left leg is paralyzed due to polio.

Talking to APP from his home town Pakpattan, the energetic youth informed that he had also set up a nursery and distributed saplings among people free of cost. “I started free distribution of plants in 2015 and distributes 50,000 plants on an annual basis among people,” Chisti said.

Being a teacher, Khizar Chisti also tries to create awareness among people about the importance of an increase in green cover for fighting threatening climatic changes impacting the health, agriculture and livelihood of millions of people on an annual basis. “The prevailing heatwave in Pakistan and India is a serious indicator of highly harsh summers in near future in the region and calls for taking the threat seriously not only by the government but people as well both male and female,” Khizar opined.

If the heatwave continues to increase at the same pace and the temperature kept on around or more than 50 degrees Celsius in major parts of the country, how people will bear it and there will be a crisis of very serious level for mitigation of which we have to work jointly by creating awareness and taking practical measures, he added.

One of the cities in Pakistan, Jacobabad, is broiling in such a temperature which is hotter than the human body can withstand, he added. In most of the parts of Pakistan, major cities are experiencing a severe heatwave which has become more intense due to power outages and water scarcity, making it very harsh for people to spend the summer season.

There is a need for creating awareness among all sections of society because people from top to bottom and of all ages are getting affected by climatic changes, Khir expressed.

He has also formed a group in the name of `Green Oasis’ on social media platforms for creating awareness about the importance of increasing green cover.

He uploads all his activities regarding the planting of trees at different locations on social media with the objective of awareness of his followers spreading in different parts of the world.

In Australia, some of Chisti’s social media friends planted trees as a gift on his recent birthday.   Apart from environment-friendly services, Khizar also concentrates on welfare-oriented activities by arranging free health camps, arranging funds for the education of poor children and making arrangements for feeding birds and animals.

For welfare activities, Khizar has formed a group of 25 friends who generate funds by making donations and convincing others to help needy people.

Being a victim of polio, Khizar Wali Chisti also spreads a message regarding the importance of vaccination of children against crippling disease.

He said he understands the harshness of disability and doesn’t want to see any other facing the same problems being faced him and in this connection inform people about the importance of immunization of children against polio disease.

In response to a question, Khizar Wali said he will soon visit Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to plant trees there and meet his friends and followers.