Editorial
Old trees, an asset
Witness to time put to axe
Amid growing concern over environmental degradation comes the news of continued tree felling in the tourist spot of Birishiri in Durgapur upazila under Netrakona, and that too, in defiance of a High Court directive. Netrokona Zila Parishad along with the forest department is chopping down as many as 1,600 trees including 200 century-old ones to widen a road. We express our grave concern about such an indiscreet decision that will surely skew the ecological balance of the area.
We also consider it as yet another blow to one of our heritage landscapes because the century-old trees are what constitute the speciality of Birishiri as a site at the foothills of the magnificent Garo hills. This move will expose the Garo community living there in perfect harmony with nature to a number of hazards. Furthermore, as many as 26 century-old trees belong to the Garo Baptists Convention, members of which were not even consulted before carrying out the decision.
For all we know, tenders for felling the trees were dealt with nonchalance and eventually awarded to many persons in a hasty manner clearly indicating an underhand dealing. More alarming is the allegation that widening of the road could have been and still can be done well without felling the trees.
There is no gainsaying that climate change will increase the frequency of cyclones and more erratic rainfall in Bangladesh in the near future. The country's shrinking forest areas will only exacerbate the hazards of climate change. In the face of such bleak warnings, Netrakona Zila Parishad and the forest department should immediately respond to the High Court directive and work accordingly not to wipe out the plantations, but to save them.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments