PHA to digitise horticulture operations across Punjab

•  LAHORE: The Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) will roll out a centralised digital portal to track the performance of horticultural agencies across the province, Director General Raja Mansoor Ahmad said on Thursday.

Mr. Ahmad said the portal would consolidate all major administrative functions onto a single platform. These include human resource management, park and green belt mapping, and real-time monitoring of field vehicle operations.

The system will also maintain a digital inventory of district agency equipment — tractors, water bowsers, and other horticultural machinery — to improve asset tracking and maintenance planning.

One of the key features of the portal is a dedicated public helpline. Through this helpline, members of the public will be able to register complaints and share observations about parks, green spaces, and related services in their areas. These concerns will then be routed automatically to the relevant department or agency for timely action.

The portal will also incorporate key PHA services, including Adopt-a-Park, nursery management, plant inventories, and a digital attendance system, to ensure more effective management and monitoring.

PHA has expanded its Adopt-a-Park scheme, previously limited to Lahore, to cities recently added to its jurisdiction, including Jhang, Rahim Yar Khan, Khushab, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Okara, Gujrat, Jhelum, Murree, Khanewal and Muzaffargarh.

Latest data will be entered into the portal regularly by field teams to ensure the information remains up to date, the director general said.

Mr. Ahmad said the primary goal of the dashboard is to bring the PHA’s operations fully into the digital age, in line with the Punjab government’s broader vision of transparent and technology-driven governance.

“By centralising data and streamlining communication between field agencies and the provincial authority, the initiative will improve accountability, reduce delays, and raise the overall standard of horticulture management across Punjab,” he added.

On the horticultural front, PHA has stepped up beautification work across districts, undertaking extensive flower plantation and maintenance drives. New parks are being developed in cities including Sargodha, Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi, alongside the rehabilitation and upgrading of existing recreational facilities, Mr Ahmad said.

“PHA is also installing decorative features across the province, including daytime ornamental displays and illuminated structures for the night, to enhance the aesthetic appeal of cities,” he added.