Khagrachhari under massive afforestation plan

The initiative has been taken considering the successful performance by the different government and non-government organisations (NGOs) in the participatory afforestation programme in the district.

The stakeholders of the programme include nine horticulture centres, Agriculture Extension units, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Khagrachhari Chamber of Commerce and Industry and non-government organisations Proshika, Epek and British American Tobacco Bangladesh(BATB). They have distributed over 20 lakh saplings free of cost in the last five years since 2001 for afforestation in the district.

To encourage afforestation further, a seven-day tree fair was organised in Khagrachhari town on June 27 where government and non-government organisations set up 30 stalls.

Sixteen socio-cultural organisations also took part in the fair organised by the Department of Forest and district administration of Khagrachhari that created awareness about the benefits of afforestation.

BATB distributed 2.75 lakh saplings free of cost among the people in the fair that ended on July 3.

Local lawmaker Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan in his speech at the inaugural function at the fair said government distributes over 2 lakh saplings of different timber-yielding, fruits and medicinal trees while BATB came up with 2.75 lakh more saplings free of cost to help the people save themselves from different calamities side by side with reaping benefits from the afforestation.

District Forest Officer Shah-E-Alam told the inaugural ceremony that more than 1,000 gardens, small and large, were developed in Khagrachhari in the last five years with the help of different government and non-government organisations. The government organisations supplied 9 lakh saplings, BATB 7 lakh and other NGOs 4 lakh free of cost.

While addressing the function Deputy Commissioner Humaun Kabir called upon all to come forward in afforestation following the footstep of Nobel Prize winner Africa's Earth Mother Extraordinaire Wangari Mathai, who contributed a lot in saving the nature through tree plantation.

Mohammad Nasim, manager of Khagrachhari Leaf Area of BATB, told this correspondent that apart from distributing 7 lakh saplings free of cost they also provided different technical supports for afforestation by the Khagrachhari people during the last three years.

Sources at Rural Develo-pment Board (RDB) at Dighinala said they received 11,000 saplings from BATB.

Zila Parishad Chairman Monindra Lal Tripura said they always provide all sort of supports and extend necessary help to encourage people in any effort for tree plantations in the district.

Abdur Rahman, 59, said they received 20,000 saplings free of cost for plantation on their lands.

Some 2200 farmers, chairmen, members and people from all walks of life got saplings and necessary supports from government and NGOs to make the afforestation programme in Khagrachhari a success, said the sources.