Islamabad:
While the pre -mousson clouds meet on the hills of Margalla, another type of storm takes place in the capital – driven by chainsaws, excavators and urgent environmental action. Capital Development Authority (CDA) rushes to eliminate thousands of Islamabad paper mulberry trees before their next flowering to prevent a repetition of spring health crises.
Islamabad, long celebrated for its greenery, now rethinks its urban landscape. The brushing Papyrifera fast, or paper mulberry, was highly planted in the 1960s to shape the green image of the city. However, the tree has since become one of the main causes of serious seasonal allergies.
“We are not only cutting trees – we save lives,” said the Director of the Environment of the ADC, Irfan Niazi. “This is one of the most important environmental health initiatives in the history of the city.”
Each spring, males male releases immense amounts of pollen suspended in the air, triggering asthma attacks and allergic reactions in thousands of residents. According to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), more than 12,000 allergic patients are treated each year due to mulberry pollen, emergency rooms reporting an increase of 30% in cases of asthma.
“If we do not remove a critical number of these trees before the next flowering cycle, we are faced with another health disaster next year,” Akhtar Rasool said CDA horticulture service.
The CDA trees elimination reader launched last year, entered an accelerated phase. Targeted operations are underway in sectors such as G-6, G-7, F-6 and F-8, where the density of the mulberry trees is the highest. Each tree is marked GPS, evaluated for size and location, and only male trees are removed. Deletion activities are documented for transparency.
The work teams, dressed in safety equipment, work daily to cut, colify and transport the trees. The campaign is supported by traffic and safety teams to maintain public order and protect infrastructure.
Above all, for each abducted tree, the ADC plants at least 10 native species and with low allernes such as Phulai (Acacia Modesta), Amaltas (Cassia Fistula), the Sukh (Dalbergia Sissoo) and Olive Wild (Olea Ferruginea) chain. These species support biodiversity, provide shadow and do not release harmful airborne pollen.
“These trees are either pollinated by insects or produce heavy pollen, making them safer for public health,” said CDA botanist Rana Kashif. He added that CDA nurseries cultivate more than 100,000 young trees this year, with mass plantations planned during the monsoon season.
At Polyclinic Hospital, where allergy cases have increased for years, the medical doctor welcomed this decision. “We have seen patients develop chronic asthma from repeated exposure. With these eliminations, we hope a measurable drop in cases by 2026.”
Hospitals like Pims and Polyclinic have established dedicated allergy clinics, expanded emergency capacity during the months of advanced pollen and coordinate with the ADC to monitor health impacts.
