A number of high ranking Afghan officials and residents planted 300 saplings at Hashmat Khan Lake in Kabul City on Thursday in efforts to address the environmental issues.

Kabul's acting Mayor Abdul Ahad Wahid stressed the importance of beginning serious work in addressing the issues of the environment, starting with Hashmat Khan Lake.

"We have short, middle, and long-term plans to preserve the lake," Wahid said. "The level of water is very low because of sediment. We want to clean the lake so that there is more water in the future."

Hashmat Khan Lake is home to a variety of species such as birds and fishes and according to a guard who overlooks the lake, the new developments and attention have attracted large group of birds that are now living at the lake.

Head of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), Mustafa Zahir, stressed the importance of preserving the environment because of the affects it has on every living specimen.

"I, as citizen of this country, ask the government why they are not focusing on environmental issues?" he asked. "The human being needs water, food, and clean oxygen and if they do not consider these vital no one will be alive. We must pay attention to the rising environmental issues."

The planting of the saplings was attended by Kabul's acting mayor, NEPA, President Ashraf Ghani's Special Representative for Reform and Good Governance Ahmad Zia Massoud, and many other high ranking officials.

Hashmat Khan Lake was once an area where people flocked with their families, but has now turned into a wasteland endangering the animal's habitat.