Sylhet Correspondent :
Felling of over thousands of trees on both sides on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway via Fenchuganj has been on for the last few days at the city suburban Pararirchak area.
With a note of protest, the environment activists had already demanded for stopping it while the forest officials claimed it is being done for ensuring road safety. However they further said the trees were planted about 2 decades ago under social forestry programme and those needed to be felled down by now. On the other hand, the executive engineer of the Roads & Highways Department, Sylhet, Utpal Samanta said the matured trees were being felled to avert any possible accident on the road. “However we had requested for fresh plantation on the same area”, he added. Divisional Forest Officer of Sylhet RSM Monirul Islam told this correspondent the trees were planted in the nineties under social forestry programme and these are being felled through bidding now.
As per contract with the beneficiaries and government rules, part of the sale proceed would be given to the beneficiaries while we would keep 10 per cent of the money for new plantation, he added.
Felling of over thousands of trees on both sides on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway via Fenchuganj has been on for the last few days at the city suburban Pararirchak area.
With a note of protest, the environment activists had already demanded for stopping it while the forest officials claimed it is being done for ensuring road safety. However they further said the trees were planted about 2 decades ago under social forestry programme and those needed to be felled down by now. On the other hand, the executive engineer of the Roads & Highways Department, Sylhet, Utpal Samanta said the matured trees were being felled to avert any possible accident on the road. “However we had requested for fresh plantation on the same area”, he added. Divisional Forest Officer of Sylhet RSM Monirul Islam told this correspondent the trees were planted in the nineties under social forestry programme and these are being felled through bidding now.
As per contract with the beneficiaries and government rules, part of the sale proceed would be given to the beneficiaries while we would keep 10 per cent of the money for new plantation, he added.
