CTG EXPRESSWAY
Century-old raintrees to be felled for a ramp
Defying its own policy, Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) has decided to fell 46 trees -- including two century-old rain trees -- in CRB area of Chattogram city to construct a ramp of Chattogram Elevated Expressway.
The CDA has already gotten permission from the Forest Department to cut these trees, including 11 rain trees.
According to a survey conducted by a teacher of Chittagong University's botany department and an NGO, the CRB area is home to 225 rare plant species.
Meanwhile, a Detailed Area Plan (DAP) prepared by CDA, which was published in Gazette on January 25, 2009, designated CRB as a cultural heritage site.
According to the gazette, no part of CRB can be used for commercial purposes, and no high-rise buildings can be constructed there.
However, CDA itself is going to construct this ramp, violating its DAP.
"We gave permission to CDA as per their demand following the existing forest act," said SM Kaiser, divisional forest officer of the Chattogram North Forest Division.
He said as the land is owned by Bangladesh Railway (BR), it can step in to protect these trees.
Contacted, Mahfuzur Rahman, director of the Chattogram Elevated Expressway project and executive engineer of CDA, told The Daily Star, "The ramp construction is not possible without cutting down the trees."
However, Delwar Majumdar, former chairman of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (Chattogram centre), told reporters that there is a chance to access the elevated expressway from GEC intersection and Agrabad.
Hence, there is no need to construct the ramp at Tigerpass between these two places, he added.
There is a chance to access the elevated expressway from GEC intersection and Agrabad; so, there is no need to construct the ramp at Tigerpass between these two places.
However, some environmental organisations have already announced a demonstration in the CRB area to protect the trees.
Ritu Parvee, co-founder of Green Fingers Bangladesh, said, "We will start a movement to save those trees."
Meanwhile, CDA has yet to get permission from Bangladesh Railway to use this land.
"We got a letter from CDA to lease out this land for constructing a ramp. But we are yet to give permission [for the ramp]," said an official of BR estate department, seeking anonymity.
Project Director Mahfuzur confirmed that they have yet to get permission from BR.
According to CDA, Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the Chattogram Elevated Expressway project in July 2017. The original cost of the project was Tk 3,250 crore, and it was scheduled to be completed in June 2020.
However, the government was forced to extend the date as CDA failed to implement the project within the scheduled time. At present, the updated cost of the project is Tk 4,298.95 crore, and the deadline has been shifted to June 2024 after two extensions. The elevated expressway will have 15 ramps at nine points, from Lalkhan Bazar to Patenga. With the ramps, the total length of the expressway will be 28.5km. The ramps will facilitate entry and exit at Tigerpass, Agrabad, Barik Building, Nimtala Biswa Road, Customs area, CEPZ, Karnaphuli EPZ, Katghar area and sea-beach intersections.