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Santhosh Chandran
Umm Salal
In a big boost to the green cover in Qatar, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) plans to expand the man-made forest being developed in Umm Salal by planting another 50,000 trees in the buffer zone surrounding Doha North Sewage Treatment Plant.
Spread over an area of 12 square kilometres, the forest is expected to be an attractive picnic spot for the public.
"The forest will be opened to the public in future after receiving permission from the authorities. We have already planted 40,000 plants in the first phase beginning October 2015. By the second quarter of 2017, the forest would have more than 90,000 trees from different parts of the world," Manager of Drainage Networks Operations & Maintenance Department Khalid Saif al Khayarin told media persons during a tour of the plant.
Once opened to the public, visitors can watch the artificial lake created as part of the beautification and landscaping works around the plant. Treated water from the plant is being used to irrigate the area.
Trees have been carefully selected to withstand the local climate and a variety of decorative plants have been planted along the entry road leading to the plant.
The state-of-art QR3.63 billion plant has a capacity to treat 244,000 cubic metres of waste water per day which will serve a population of 900,000 in 2020.
Presently, the plant operates 20 percent of its total capacity and provides 55,000 cubic metres of treated water for irrigation in West Bay area.
Ashghal will spend QR1.14 billion to preserve the forest for the next 10 years.
According to officials, a total of QR1.1 billion has been budgeted for the plantation.
The trees at the forest are expected to be a mix of local species as well as more decorative types which can cope with the desert climate. With the forest, northern area of Qatar will be greener.
This green zone will include 50 picnic spots with interconnecting roads and a bird watching lagoon.
The roads, picnic spots and lagoon are under construction. Work on irrigation pipeline and artificial mounds across the area are progressing well.
