The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) of Afghanistan on Tuesday said that based on a government plan, they will plant millions of trees across the country.

Nasir Ahmad Durrani, minister of MAIL, said the government has been planting two million trees across the country every year, but 40% of them are dry because of neglect.

According to the official, green spaces can fight pollution and drought and also provide oxygen.

“We have a plan to distribute more than two million trees across the country,” said Durrani.

Zaki Sarfaraz, Kabul mayor, said there was a plan at the city level to plant trees.

“We try to change the irrigation system to improve the system in the city,” said Sarfaraz.

Shah Zaman Maiwandi, head of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) said that making green spaces and planting hundreds of trees in Kabul was their plan.

“We have made a database to control all the new trees across the country,” said Maiwandi.

“We should take care of the trees that we are planting now,” said Ilyas Niazi, a student of environmental studies.

Some volunteer youths made a campaign in Kabul city to encourage people to plant trees in the new year.

“Every family should plant trees to have a green Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Masood Nasrat, a volunteer.

“With the green spaces we can keep people happy. The green spaces attract pollution and provide oxygen,” said Khpalwak Sulaimanzai, an environment analyst.

Based on the presidential decree, March 10 has been named tree-planting day in Afghanistan.