Don't make a habit of felling trees
At a time when the authorities should have focused on protecting and planting trees in Dhaka to lower its rising temperature and make the air a little more breathable, the steps taken by some government bodies in recent months signal a totally contradictory response. In May, the Dhaka South City Corporation felled hundreds of trees on the Saat Masjid Road in the name of beautification. Soon after, the Dhaka North City Corporation felled trees on the median strip of Mohakhali-Gulshan Road in a bid to expand its traffic island. Both corporations stopped their activities only after widespread criticism.
But clearly, these incidents have failed to set an example for other responsible departments of the state. If it did, we would not have to witness another onslaught on the city's greenery by the Public Works Department (PWD) recently. According to a report, on August 23, PWD workers cut down some 30-year-old trees to make space for a housing block for parliament officials and staff near the Shahid Shahabuddin Road at Agargaon. They, too, stopped their work only in the face of protests from locals and environmental activists.
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Such assaults on our fast-depleting greenery, by government authorities no less, are outrageous. What makes it more problematic is that the PWD did not take permission for cutting trees from the forest department, which is essential.
Dhaka has already become a heat island and one of the most polluted cities in the world. Its gradual loss of greenery and wetlands owing to mindless development has been the main reason for this situation. While a city must have about 25 percent of green coverage, Dhaka has only less than 8.5 percent of green space at present. Given the rate at which trees are being cut in the city, it may not be long before its remaining greenery too vanishes, making the city totally uninhabitable. We, therefore, urge the government to ensure environmental compliance in any project by any of its bodies, and take active measures to enhance the city's greenery.
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