One crore saplings to be planted to mark ‘Mujib Year’: Minister
Besides the 1 crore “commemorative trees”, another 7 crore saplings will be planted across the country in the current fiscal year under the afforestation activities of the forest department
The government has undertaken an initiative to plant one crore saplings across the country within this year to make the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman memorable.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahabuddin said this while addressing a virtual meeting on Wednesday morning. He said these trees will be considered as "commemorative trees".
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the tree plantation programme from her official Ganobhaban residence on Thursday at 10.30 am by planting saplings of tamarind, chatian and chalta species.
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Immediately after the inauguration by the prime minister, the plantation programme will start across the country with the planting of at least one sapling in each upazila.
Besides these one crore commemorative trees, another seven crore saplings will be planted in the current fiscal year under the afforestation activities of the forest department, the minister added.
"Instructions have been given to authorities concerned to take necessary steps to ensure proper maintenance of these saplings after planting," he said.
Under the one crore tree plantation programme, some 20,325 saplings of various native species of forest, medicinal and fruit trees have already been raised in the nurseries of the forest department in each of the 492 upazilas of the country.
No foreign species of saplings were raised for this purpose, the minister maintained, adding that instructions have been issued to the field level to complete the work by September 15 this year.
Moreover, another initiative has been taken to distribute 15 lakh forest, fruit, and medicinal saplings to educational institutes and other public and private organisations across the country to plant them on their campus. Five thousand trees are allocated for each parliamentary seat under this initiative, said the minister.
The Environment and Forest Development Committee of each upazila have already prepared a list of sapling recipients and a detailed action plan on the distribution and planting of the saplings, said the minister.
