IRNA � Plantation of Tehran 'Green Belt' will be completed in direct cooperation with the Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization in the next five years, a Tehran municipal official said on Saturday.

So far 41,500 hectares of forests out of the planned 50,000 hectares have been planted, said Mohammad-Ali Mokhtari.

He said that native and drought-tolerant species and, in the heights above 1,800 meters, Persian turpentine, hawthorn, and common ash trees have been planted.

He added that the green area per capita of the city has reached from one square meter before the Islamic Revolution (1979) to 16.25 meters today.

Mokhtari said that President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated a project that added 1,250 hectares to the 'Green Belt' of Tehran in north, northwest and east of the city on April 7.

The project of 'Green Belt' of Tehran is being carried out since 1986 covering 41,500 hectares of land so far.

According to Tehran municipal officials, irrigation of parts of the green belt of Tehran is done using purified sewage water of the city and in the near future, the same method will be used for all of the forests.

Civil and environment observers believe that the green belt, especially once completed, will have major effect on environment of the capital.