Fodua (E/R), Oct. 15, GNA - The Forestry Commission has planted 1,800 hectares of degraded forests with different species of trees in the Kwahu South District as at the end of September, under its Forest Plantation Project.

The Assistant District Forestry Officer, Mr Douglas Adade Kye, who announced this during the celebration of the National Disaster Reduction Day at Fodua, near Mpraeso on Tuesday, said 800 hectares were planted last year while 300 hectares more would be planted this year.

He said the Commission, in conjunction with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) would establish a nursery for 5,000 various species of trees for distribution to individuals, organisations, schools and communities to support the reforestation programme.

Mr Adade said Community Forestry Committees had been formed to check illegal felling of trees in the forest reserves and advised communities to protect the forest.

The District NADMO Co-ordinator, Mr Evans Abankwah, said the organisation had distributed over 500 seedlings to some basic schools and communities to be planted on school compounds, around buildings and along riverbanks to check rainstorm and the drying up of rivers in the district.

He advised them to take precautionary measures and avoid indiscriminate felling of trees, farming along river banks, construction on water ways and setting up of bushfires to reduce the high rate of disasters.

Mr Abankwah advised sand winners to reclaim the land after their operations and urged NADMO officials to co-operate with forestry officials to track down the activities of illegal chainsaw operations. The District Chief Executive, Mr Raymond Osafo-Djan, noted that most of the disasters, such as flooding and bushfires could be prevented and advised the people to adopt measures to avoid such disasters to save the environment.

The MP for Nkawkaw Okerchire Kwabena Adusah said the government was providing funds for drainage at Nkawkaw and other communities to check flooding.