Trees will be planted on every Dhaka North road: Mayor

Trees will be planted on every road and pavement in Dhaka North areas, Mayor Atiqul Islam announced Tuesday at the launching of a mega greening programme in the capital.

The programme would plant two lakh trees including almond trees, blackboard trees, mango trees, jackfruit trees, herbal trees as well as flowery trees like flame trees, medlar trees, freshwater mangrove trees, golden shower trees, bougainvillea trees, oleander trees, geranium trees, sky flower trees and more.

The programme would also seek to support biodiversity by planting trees like freshwater mangroves on road-medians to attract a variety of birds to urban areas.

"God willing, our children would enjoy the benefits of the seeds we are sowing today," the mayor said calling on every citizen to support his nature improvement plans.

When journalists asked about reported incidents of tree felling for Dhaka city development projects, the mayor said he stands vehemently against such acts. He has already blacklisted the contractor, tasked with building road-dividers at the Technical intersection near Gabtoli, for felling trees to accomplish the project. Two engineers under the project have also been expelled to send a strong message against those who ignore greeneries to have their ways, the mayor told reporters at the tree plantation launching event.

Calling on land owners to come forward with their own tree plantation initiatives, the mayor said he would ask the Rajuk authorities to immediately require planting of at least one tree on every katha of private land.

His office would not rest only by planting trees but has also undertaken initiatives to properly nurture them, Mayor Atiqul said. To this end, for the first time, Dhaka North would employ 100 gardeners and assign a kilometre of area to each of them to look after trees and report back to Dhaka North officials. A geographic information system or GIS map detailing the areas for planting and monitoring the new trees has already been prepared, and it would help check adverse impacts on the new trees, the mayor pointed out.

The Forest Department is also being strengthened to take care of trees and allocation for tree plantation would be raised in the next budget, the mayor assured.

In problematic zones like the traffic- and vehicle-filled Satrasta intersection to rail-gate area, the local councillor would have to take the responsibility to lead the top leaders of truck owners' and workers' associations in ensuring the wellbeing of the trees.

Dhaka North authorities have not taken the tree plantation initiative arbitrarily on their own. Officials have consulted with the Forest Department, environmentalists and urban planning experts before selecting the trees for plantation with a broader aim to reduce climate change impact, heat wave's intensity and environmental pollution, Atiqul assured.

Architect Iqbal Habib, private tree plantation company Green Savers President Ahsan Rony and the government's Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury were also present at Tuesday's plantation programme launching event among others.