Eco-park needs fund to conserve rare species of plants, wildlife

Botanical Garden and Eco-park at Sitakunda. Photo: AKM Mohsin

Developed on a vast 1996 acres of hilly and forest land overlooking the Bay of Bengal, the project was launched in 2001. The project, 996-acre eco-park and the 1000-acre botanical garden, helped enrich its natural beauty and develop entertainment facilities.

Under the project, a good number of gardens of rare species of medicinal plants, nursery, two rose gardens and an orchid house were developed there in less than three years with investment of Tk. 3 crore, sources said.

The park could not draw visitors yet from distant places of the country to the expected level, sources said. Besides,

lack of security measures poses a threat to the visitors and discourage them indirectly, sources added.

It lacks in facilities and structural development, visitors said. A small number of sheds, poor sitting arrangements and non-availability of refreshment items caused a great inconvenience to them, they said. A group of visitors from the city said there should have more sheds, having sufficient sitting arrangements and snacks shops. After travelling 23 miles from the city or other distant places, the visitors might need some refreshment and nice sitting arrangements, they said.

They said due to lack of security measures, visitors some times fell victim to mugging at remote and desolate corners of the garden and park.

Project director Zahid Hossain Bhuiyan told The Daily Star that the authorities were thinking of further development of the Eco-park and Botanical Garden with creation of lakes, picnic spots and corners. It was also planning for installing amusing instruments like hanging-bridge and aerial rope way to lessen trouble of travelling different remote corners of the park and garden, he said.

But these are not possible now as tenure of the project will expire this year, Bhuiyan said.

He said a large portion of the project budget had to be spent for construction of gardeners' barracks, rangers' quarters and water-supply while around 50 per cent would go for payment of salaries of the project staffs and officials.

In view of this, a new project profile involving Tk. 6 crore for further development of the Eco-park and Botanical Garden was submitted early this year, Bhuiyan said.

He said it was not possible to ensure security of such a huge area with the small number of security guards. Some incidents of mugging take place at a lonely place between the park and the Chandranath hill, he said.

We always ask the visitors to let us know before passing the lonely places so that we can take care of their safety, he said.

Since its inception the Eco-park and Botanical Garden project succeeded in drawing attention of the visitors through preserving rare species of plants and animals.

Among the rare species of plants grown in the gardens are Tamal plants, Joitun, Naglingam, Peduk and medicinal trees of Chalmugur. A plenty of Dumur, Kaufal and date trees also grow.

Natural habitats developed there conserve wild animals and the Eco-park has become a rendezvous for a large number of monkeys, red deer, Hanumans and rabbits.

Two springs namely "Shahasra Dhara" (flowing throughout the year) and "Supta Dhara" (sleeping spring) of the Eco-park are also attracting the tourists.

Several "picnic spots" were also created inside the park.