Sindh Forest Department brings pride to nation by planting Maximum Number of Mangroves for 3rd Guinness World Record
KARACHI: The Sindh Forest Department yet again clinched the 3rd Guinness World Record for planting the maximum number of mangrove saplings during the daylight hours in Keti Bunder, Thatta District, along Sindh coast, on April 19, 2018.The total number of saplings planted by the closing of the time was 1,129,294. The Department has broken its own previous record of 847,275 that was set in the year 2013.
In a statement, Mr. Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, Country Representative, IUCN Pakistan, congratulated the Sindh Forest Department officials for their sincere efforts and dedication towards conservation and protection of mangroves. He said that the event has not only earned kudos for Pakistan but has also resulted in a substantial number of mangroves raised on the coast.
He appreciated the patronage of the Guinness World Record attempt by the Chairperson, Pakistan Peoples’ Party, Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah who also personally visited the site on this occasion. He further said that such a high-level support for the environment will have a positive and deep effect on the environmental policies at the federal as well as provincial level. He admired efforts of Secretary Environment, Chief Conservator Forest, Project Director/Conservator Forest Department and other officials for their efforts.
Guinness World Records is a universally recognized authority on the cataloging and verification of a huge number of world records – the organization employs official record adjudicators authorized to verify the setting and breaking of records.
The second Guinness World Record was clinched by the Sindh Forest Department by planting 847,275 saplings at Kharo Chaan on June 22, 2013. Earlier, the Sindh Forest Department in 2009 had set a record by planting 541,176 saplings in Keti Bunder, which was overturned by India in 2010 by planting 611,000 saplings and again in 2013 Pakistan regained this title in 2013. As per the guidelines mandated by the adjudicators at the Guinness World Records, the record has to be set by 300 volunteers only during the daylight hours.
This activity was organized under the Sindh Forest Department and IUCN Pakistan has been working as an implementation partner in mangroves restoration project on the Sindh coast and is the media facilitator for the Guinness World Records event.