Shafaqna English- The Al-Abbas Holy Shrine has launched a project to establish a 90-kilometer green belt, involving the planting of one million trees at the Al-Awali Farm in Karbala Governorate, as part of efforts to combat desertification and expand green spaces.
According to Shafaqna, citing Iraqi News Agency, the opening ceremony for the first phase of the project was attended by Sayyid Mustafa Murtadha Al-Dhiya’ al-Din, Secretary-General of the Al-Abbas Holy Shrine, his deputy Abbas Musa Ahmed, and a number of members of the shrine’s Board of Directors.
Al-Dhiya’ al-Din said: “Following the conclusion of the Arbaeen pilgrimage commemorating Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), and upon the directives of the religious custodian of the Al-Abbas Holy Shrine and representative of the highest religious authority in Najaf, His Eminence Allama Sayyid Ahmed Al-Safi, the shrine has begun planting green belts at Al-Awali Farm, which covers an area of 50,000 dunams.”
He added: “The first phase of this project includes establishing a 90-kilometer green belt with one million trees. These seedlings have been propagated in the holy shrine’s greenhouses, and today we began planting the green belt.”
Emphasizing that “all of Iraq is fertile land,” he noted that the religious custodian has repeatedly stressed the importance of supporting the agricultural sector and preserving the country’s existing water resources.
He said: “All deserts in Iraq can be cultivated, and experience—including that of the holy shrines in rehabilitating desert areas—demonstrates this. Today, there are large palm-growing oases at the Saki Farm and Firdaws Farm, as well as other agricultural crops.”
He continued: “From this fertile land, we urge all those involved in the agricultural sector to move more quickly, make use of the available time to cultivate the country’s existing lands, and transform these agricultural products into food industries and other industries, as agriculture has applications across various aspects of life.”
He explained that “a comprehensive plan has been developed in our country by officials, specialists and those interested in this field, and they are working to make the fastest possible use of the available lands from the north to the south of the country.”
Al-Dhiya’ al-Din stressed that “green belts first address the issue of desertification and preserve a beautiful and pleasant environment around the holy city of Karbala and other cities. They also serve as a starting point for expanding the cultivation of various agricultural products and making use of Iraq’s available lands.”
He concluded: “The land of Mesopotamia is blessed with two rivers, and investing in agriculture is a good and straightforward investment. The only thing we need to do is move forward in this direction. The people of Iraq, these generous and noble people, are contributing some of their most precious resources in service of their country. It is our duty to strive, work and make every effort to cultivate the available lands in Iraq.”
Source: Shafaqna Persian